Dog Days
by HappyDuelist
Summary: After coping with years of abuse from his father, Joey Wheeler decides to break away. Will he make his way in the world, or will disaster befall him? Joey x Mai Ch 25 up now! [COMPLETE!]
1. The Library Card

Author Note: I do not own Yugioh or any of the characters from the show. I hope you enjoy this story and I look forward to seeing what people think of it. If you like it please R&R. I don't expect this to be a long story like my other Yugioh fic, but I think it will be a fun ride as it moves along. Just a warning this story will contain spoilers for Battle City and possibly the Noah's Virtual World saga. This fic has been beta read by Minor Arcana; a big thank you to her for all her help and advice on the story.

Dog Days

Chapter One: The Library Card

-o-

It was so humid outside that his blond hair clung to his forehead like he'd just gotten out of the shower. The sun beat down on the top of his head, making him wish he'd worn a hat or at least brought one to school to wear on the way home. Joey Wheeler cursed the summer heat for the hundredth time. The air was so hot he decided to go someplace he never went to: the library. It was only a couple blocks away and was sure to be air conditioned, offering Joey a needed break from the scorching journey home.

'_It's too bad that the guys are staying after school to work on plans for that dumb dance coming up. Maybe today's the day I actually get a library card. Wouldn't they laugh if they knew what I was up to?'_

He kept on walking, making a beeline for the library. By the time he made it inside, he felt like his brain was cooking inside his skull. Joey quickly scanned the library and saw tables with all kinds of people sitting at them with books in front of their faces. He recognized some of the kids there. He figured that he was safe from discovery for the moment and so he went over to the main counter people checked books and videos out at. An older woman with short gray-permed hair smiled at him as he nervously approached the counter.

"Hello. May I help you with something?"

Her voice was low, like she'd swallowed a frog or something. Joey resisted the urge to run back out into the afternoon heat and looked around before looking back to the woman, nodding quickly. He put his backpack down by his feet and leaned on the counter. He apprehensively cleared his throat and hoped he didn't look as fearful as he felt.

"Uh, yeah. I was wondering if I could, uh, get a library card? Heh, heh." Joey scratched the side of his head.

"Why certainly, young man. Do you have an ID card or driver's license with your current address?"

He nodded and reached into his back pocket to take out his license. It was a horrible picture but then most people's license photos weren't flattering. Joey opened his wallet and removed his ID, then he timidly handed it to the librarian. While she was readying a fresh plastic library card for him, Joey looked around some more at this new environment. He saw several rows of computers, some with people in front of them, and he smiled to himself.

'_Now **that** is something useful. Maybe I will get something out of this card, after all. I wonder if those are connected to the net at all. That would be so cool.'_

The pleasant woman behind the desk handed him back his driver's license and a blue card, facedown. She pointed to a spot on it where she asked him to sign his name. He took a pen that was hooked to the counter by a weak chain and signed his first name. She smiled at him, after which she handed him a pamphlet with all the library policies and told him if he needed any help with something he had only to ask.

"Now that you mention it, are those computers hooked up to the net?"

"Yes they are. Would you like to sign up to use one today? As long as there are open machines you are free to use one as long as you like."

"Yeah, that would be really great, ma'am. Thank you for the help."

She smiled and put a clipboard with a sheet of paper where people put down their first names to record who had been in using the library computers. He eagerly put his name on the next available line and she told him he could use any of the open machines. He thanked her and put down the pen. He put the card and his license back in his wallet, before reaching down to pick up his backpack.

-o-

Joey was quite pleased with himself for finally working up the courage to check out what the library had to offer. All his friends had raved about coming here and he was starting to understand why.

Seeing an open machine at one end of the two rows of evenly divided desks, he decided on taking that open seat. He put his backpack down and then pulled the chair out so he could sit down. Wiping his brow, Joey focused on the screen before him. It looked like it was already set with an open browser on some search engine. Joey wiped his sweat-covered hand on his jeans before lifting both hands to the keyboard.

He'd taken typing a couple years ago and was good enough at it that he didn't need to look at the keys as he typed. He clicked on one and quickly hit the back button due to ugly graphics. Making a disgusted face, Joey clicked another link. Soon he was browsing around a site that had stories written by fans of various shows, as well as original short stories made up with original characters. After checking out a couple of stories he decided he could write one as well as the ones he'd checked out, or perhaps even better. People didn't think he was good with writing, or that he ever read a book outside of assigned material for classes, but they were wrong.

Joey didn't want to shake that image. However, he'd worked hard to not be labeled as a geek or bookworm and he had no intention of doing anything to destroy that image. He signed up for a free web based email address and then signed up for a pen name on this website he'd spent an hour on already. He chose the name "RedEyesDuelist" and had to laugh. It was the best he could think of and he looked up at the clock, noting that he'd been here almost an hour and a half. He then did a quick inventory on the people around him; he wanted to make damn sure no one he knew saw him sitting here at a computer.

Satisfied that no one around cared what he was up to, Joey opened a new text document and began writing. He concocted a story about a guy named "Jack Havoc" who was kind of like himself; street smart and someone who didn't take any crap off anyone. He opened it with Jack on his way home from work. Setting it up so his character was a private detective that took all kinds of cases, he thought it would be cool to make this a mystery/horror story.

-o-

Joey was so engrossed in his writing that he didn't realize another hour had passed by the time he actually spell checked and posted his first chapter on the website.

'_Now that was fun. I'm gonna have to have to think of what I want Jack to do and what will happen to him and the case he just took. I bet no one bothers to read or even review it, but so what? I really enjoyed doing this.'_

He looked up at the clock again and closed the browser, deleted the text document he'd made for his story, then got up and stretched. Joey pushed the chair under the desk and grabbed his backpack. He went to the bathroom and washed his hands, then splashed some cold water onto his face. Ripping off a long piece of the brown paper towels from the dispenser, he sighed contentedly as he lifted it to his face, drying it first and then his hands. He then crumbled up the damp brown paper towel then pitched it into the trashcan. Now that he was refreshed and rested he headed back outside.

The heat of the day had given way to some puffy white clouds, blocking out the remainder of the sunshine. There was even a cool breeze blowing that made Joey feel really glad he'd stopped by the library. He was determined that he would go back tomorrow on his way home, regardless of what the gang was doing. He'd much rather hang out there in the nicely cooled library with the comfortable silence allowing one to sit and think undisturbed. Silence was rare in his household. He tried to push thoughts of his abusive father away from the surface of his mind, unwilling to allow them to rob him of his joyful discovery of writing.

'_Maybe I can even get some stuff written at home. Not like I have that much homework to do with exams just around the corner. I hope Dad is out by now. He sure yelled at me loud last night. I don't know why he has to be so mean.'_

He sighed, recognizing his failure to keep his father away from the forefront of his mind. Everyone in the gang knew about his home situation not being the greatest, but they didn't know, or at least Joey hoped, that they didn't know his father was at times physically abusive to him.

-o-

It wasn't long before he'd unlocked and cautiously opened the front door. It was quiet inside, so Joey closed the door and went to check around the house. Much to his relief, his father wasn't home, so he headed to the kitchen, putting his backpack down on one of the chairs at the kitchen table.

'_Hmmm, what should I munch on? Big surprise, there's not much here, beer, beer and more beer. Dammit, why can't my dad get any decent grub? I guess I'll just slap a sandwich together, again.'_

Joey sighed as he took out the mustard and the half-empty pack of bologna he'd bought earlier this week with money from his paper route. He shut the fridge and put the mustard and bologna on the table, and then he went to the pantry and took out a loaf of bread. He sighed again as he took a couple paper plates and put four pieces of bread down on them. He deftly made two sandwiches and put the bologna and mustard away before finally sitting down to enjoy the two hastily-made sandwiches.

After he finished the first sandwich, he reached down to his backpack to pull out a spiral notebook he could continue working on his story in. Opening it towards the middle, he started musing over possible titles to his story. So far he'd just went with "Jack Havoc; Private Eye" and knew it was a pretty lame title, but he'd been thinking about it ever since he left the library and had come up with a couple of others.

As he ate the second sandwich, Joey made some notes about possible things to have happen in his story, and after about ten minutes he had one idea that held the most promise.

'_Yeah, I think it would be really cool, having ole' Jack take on a case with a wife convinced her rich husband is cheating on her. She can want Jack to help her get evidence so she can leave his two timing ass and get full custody of their two kids. Then the mistress ends up murdered right in front of him. Offed by some person wearing a disguise that makes him think it was a woman doing the killing but ends up being the husband. Yeah, that would be cool.'_

He was so caught up in writing his notes that he didn't notice the sound of keys fumbling in the front door, signaling the arrival of his father. It wasn't until the door opened that Joey realized his father was home. He frantically put his notebook away and threw out the dirty paper plates, frightened of being caught writing. His father didn't like to see him around, and before Joey could escape into his room with his backpack his father was already in the kitchen.

"What the hell are you up to, boy?"

Joey choked and shrugged, "Uh, nothing, Dad. Was just finishing up some homework."

"Whatever. I've got company staying over tonight so make yourself scarce, hear me? Do it now - get your shit and get out. If you know what's good for you, you'd better not come back until after school tomorrow either. Now get outta here, girly boy!"

His father's voice boomed at Joey, shaking the house and chilling the teen to the bone. Even though he hated it when his father called him a 'girly boy', Joey bobbed his head up and down, indicating he understood, and he quickly left his father alone in the house they shared. At times like this, he really missed having a real family.

He could remember what it was like when his sister and mom still lived here with him and his dad.

-o-

As he closed the front door, Joey Wheeler felt like he was all-alone, a feeling he was all too familiar with. He didn't know where he would end up sleeping tonight, and as he headed out into the twilight he couldn't help but to wonder what Jack Havoc would think of his dad and how he treated him.

'_I bet ole' Jack Havoc would pop Dad one in the kisser big time. Shit, what am I gonna do? I don't want to sleep in the park. Those blasted cops already kicked me outta there more times then I care to remember. I can't go to Yug's or Tristan's 'cuz they'll get wise to Dad's crap. Oh well, guess it's the park; not like I have much choice.' _

-o-

About twenty minutes later when Joey reached the park he sat down on an empty swing. He tossed his backpack to the side and started swinging. There was a small baseball field next to the park, and if he was lucky tonight there wouldn't be a game. If there was, he was surely bound to either get in a fight or tossed out of the park once it ended. He built up good momentum and then he reached out to grab the swing next to him. Carefully he hooked his legs through it so that it was under his knees. Joey sighed bitterly, just letting the swings sway back and forth as he watched the evening creeping out driving away the light, triggering the street lamps all around. It wouldn't be long now before he had to find a hiding place.

"Well if it isn't Joey Wheeler. Hi hun. What are you doing here all by yourself?"

Joey nearly fell off both of the swings upon hearing the voice behind him that belonged to none other then Mai Valentine.

"Oh hiya. Mai. I was just looking to hang out here awhile is all. How are you doing? I'm surprised to see you here in Domino."

Joey pulled his legs off the second swing and then put his feet down to slow down as Mai walked around to sit on the empty swing on the other side of him. He smiled and chuckled nervously as he waited for her to answer.

"I was in the neighborhood. Actually, I found a great little apartment in town. I've decided to stick around for awhile."

She sighed and kicked her boots in the dirt. He got the distinct impression she'd come here seeking solitude and he wondered if he ought to make an exit so she could have the swings to herself.

"It's really good to see you again, Mai. I thought you'd be long gone by now, with Battle City over and all. So tell me, how are you _really_ doing?"

She sighed again, "Am I that obvious?"

"Uh, no, I just happen to know that look and recognize that sigh. Something's wrong, isn't it?"

She nodded, stepped back then started to swing. It was evident that something was bothering her and if she wanted to talk about it he would gladly listen, even if there weren't a thing he could do to help. Joey Wheeler always had time for his friends, and ever since she'd given him her Glory of the King's Hand card at Duelist Kingdom he'd had a soft spot for the blond. Not that he'd ever admit it to her, but still, seeing her upset worried him.

"Yeah well, not like it's any big deal. I just didn't want to leave, that's all." She paused and then sighed again, "Oh who am I kidding? I've been pretty lonely since the tournament ended and figured that I could find some things to do here in Domino that might get my mind off how bad I feel lately."

"Why are you feeling bad, Mai? You did pretty well in the tournament, even if Marik cheated to win against you and played dirty. You're still a great duelist. I've always thought that."

She looked up at the sky and then back at the ground. If Joey didn't know any better, it seemed that she was about to cry.

"Thanks, Joey. That's sweet of you to say. Really it is, but I know in my heart I wasn't good enough in the end to reach my goal. Not only that, but my goal was unrealistic so it was only natural that I failed."

Her voice dropped really low as she sighed again and stopped trying to move the swing, just letting it carry her along as he'd done only minutes ago when he'd thought he was alone here. He stood up off the swing and reached out to grab the chain on hers. She turned to look at him, surprised by his action, and then her mouth dropped when she saw the stern look on his face.

"Mai, you are good enough to reach your goals. Hell I didn't win either. But that doesn't stop me from dreaming or trying, you know? Look at me. Do I look like a failure to you because I didn't win some stupid tournament?"

She shook her head, and he could see she was shaking. He knew she was about to cry even without hearing her talk. He reached with a hand down beneath her chin and smiled.

"Mai, listen to me. Trust me on this; you are good enough to do whatever you want to do. Winning a duel against some psycho wouldn't have made any difference to who you are inside. Losing one to said cheating psycho shouldn't make any difference, either."

"Oh Joey, I-I..."

The tears started falling slowly at first, then she pulled her hands up to her face to hide it from him. Leaning down, he reached his arms around her and held her as she let out all the pain that had built up inside her over the past weeks.

"Shhh, it's gonna be ok. I'm here for you, Mai. Everything's gonna be just fine. You'll see."

He held her like that for a few minutes until her sobbing subsided. Then she looked up at him, her face streaked with mascara, her blush was all blotchy, but he didn't care. He smiled at her as he let her go, giving one hand a final squeeze. She tried to smile and then wiped at her eyes, making the black mess even more pronounced.

"Thanks, Joey. You're a real friend, you know that?"

He nodded and winked, glad to see the sparkle that had come back into her eyes. She reached to her purse and took out some tissues, which she used to wipe across her face and under her eyes. Joey hoped he'd helped make her feel better, and something told him she really didn't want to be alone right now. Going over how much money he had left from his weekly paycheck, he decided he had enough to take her out to get something to eat.

"What do you say we get outta here and go get a soda or something?"

She was still wiping her face and he could see the gratitude filling her eyes.

"Sure Joey, let's get out of here. What would you say to coming over to my place? We could watch a movie and order pizza or something. What do you say?"

"I think that would be a lot of fun, Mai. Let's make like a tree and leaf."

She laughed and then stood up from the swing as he picked up his backpack. All thoughts about Jack Havoc were long forgotten, as were any thoughts about his problems with his old man. All that mattered to Joey was that he'd helped make a friend feel better. To him that was the best feeling in the world.


	2. The Notebook

Author Note: I do not own Yugioh or any of the characters from the show. I hope you enjoy this story and I look forward to seeing what people think of it. If you like it please R&R. I don't expect this to be a long story like my other two Yugioh fics, but I think it will be a fun ride as it moves along. Just a warning this story will contain spoilers for Battle City and possibly the Noah's Virtual World saga.

Dog Days Chapter Two: The Notebook

-o-

Joey followed Mai up to her apartment and waited while she unlocked the door, nervously shifting his weight from one foot to the other. She opened it and then looked over her shoulder at him, smiling.

"Home sweet home. Come on in, Joseph. Can I get you a soda or something?"

He nodded and closed the door behind him, and then looked around the modest apartment. Mai disappeared around a corner of the living room and he heard her in the kitchen, so he continued looking around. There was a lot of furniture, more then he thought she would have had, having had the place only for about a month at the most. There was a deep purple velvet couch, the expensive kind that had a reclining seat at each end. A glossy black lacquered wooden coffee table with a frosted glass top sat between the couch and the entertainment stand that was loaded with pricey electronics.

'_Looks like she's done pretty well for herself. I'm glad to see she has a nice place to live in, nothing like the hellhole I'm stuck in.'_

"Here we go; crackers, chips, dip and soda. What movie do you want to watch?" Mai asked.

Mai had a silver tray laden with their drinks and snacks, which she put down onto the coffee table. Then she gestured to the couch before sitting down and taking the remote off the coffee table, clicking on the television.

"I don't care. Whatever you wanna watch is cool with me, Mai."

Joey laid his backpack near the comfortable looking couch as he sat down and then he reached over to pick up a can of soda, smiling at Mai as he did so.

"Then let's just surf around the channels and see if we come across anything interesting. Get comfortable, Joey, make yourself at home hun," Mai smiled and then reached to her boots which she yanked off one by one. "Oh god, that feels better! Don't be shy, Joseph; if you want to toss your shoes off go for it!"

"You're pretty brave, Mai. I mean, after all we're eating here," He laughed and she giggled, "Maybe after we're done scarfing snacks I can take my sneakers off for awhile."

Mai giggled and nodded. She picked up the remote and began flipping through all the channels and then gave up, leaving it on a music video channel. She popped open the other can of soda and took a sip before putting it down on the coffee table on a coaster. Joey took a sip from his and leaned down to grab a chip, which he used to scoop up some french onion dip from the bowl on the tray. Mai reached down to the bowl of chips and took one, putting it straight into her mouth. Then she took another chip, which she dipped into the creamy white dip.

"So how's your sister, doing Joey?"

Joey's face darkened and he was quiet for a long moment before he shrugged. "I don't know, Mai. I wish I did. I haven't seen her since she went back to stay with our mom."

Mai felt really bad and turned to face her friend, "Oh Joey, I had no idea, hun. I'm really sorry I asked. I bet you miss her pretty bad, eh?"

He nodded and sighed. There wasn't a day that went by where he didn't think about Serenity or miss her and wish they could be together like when they were kids. Mai reached over and put her hand on Joey's knee, and he reached down to cover it with his own. He squeezed it and then pulled his hand away. Mai removed her hand moments later and sighed.

"Hey, don't worry about it, Mai. The way I figure it, to worry about something you can't control, or do anything about, is a waste of time. I really gotta hand it to you; this place is great. I'm glad you're doing good for yourself," Joey forced a smile onto his lips and hoped she would let him change the subject.

"Thanks, Joey. It's nothing fancy but it's comfortable," Mai smiled and searched his face, trying to divine whether or not she should try to get him to talk about what was bothering him, "Joey, you know you can talk to me about anything right?"

The young blond teen nodded and Mai went on, "What's going on with you? Why were you at the park tonight? Is something wrong?"

Joey considered whether or not to talk to her about his problems and decided that after all they'd been through together he could trust her. He laid back into the couch, put his hands behind his head and sighed.

"I don't want to burden you with my problems, Mai, but really I don't have anyone else I can talk to about all this."

"It's ok, Joey; I wouldn't have asked if I didn't care, you know," She reached over to his knee and squeezed it, trying to get him to make eye contact with her.

Still staring at the ceiling, Joey took a deep breath before beginning to share his personal hell with the one person in all of Domino that he felt he could talk to about it.

"Ok then. I was at the park because my old man told me to get out since he was having friends over. He does that a lot, and I'm used to having to fend for myself anyway. So I was going to wait until it got dark and then I was going to find some place at the park to crash."

Mai gasped and lifted her hand up to her mouth, "Oh Joey, your _father_ kicked out you just like that?"

He nodded, and then after a moment went on, "Yeah, that is just how he is. He's never been the same some Mom left him, and I end up getting the bulk of his anger vented on me. I'm used to it, though, so I try not to let it bother me."

"He doesn't _hit you_ or anything, does he?"

Joey shook his head; the last thing he wanted to do was burden her with that harsh truth. It did feel make him feel better to talk about it to the degree he'd allowed himself to. But he knew where to draw the line and vowed to stand by that so he wouldn't upset his friend.

"You can sleep over here tonight, ok, Joey? Right here on the couch. I won't hear of you going out sleeping somewhere on the streets or hiding in the park when my couch is here and readily available."

He chuckled, recognizing that tone of voice that said she meant it when she said he couldn't refuse.

"Ok, Mai. If you're sure you don't mind. I don't want to cramp your style, though."

"Oh Joseph please, I want you to stay or I wouldn't have offered."

She smiled at him and he returned it with one of his own.

"Thanks Mai, you're a true friend."

"Think nothing of it, hun," She was still smiling as she reached down to pick up another chip.

"Hey, Mai? I haven't talked to Yugi or anyone else about what goes on at home, so would you mind just keeping this between us?"

She nodded, "I wouldn't dream of doing such a thing as talking about you behind your back, Joey. You and the gang showed me what true friendship is all about. Sometimes it's better to keep some things just between friends because it hurts knowing you can't do anything to help someone you care about."

"You nailed it on the head, Mai. I know it would just upset Yugi if he knew. I just wanted to let you know I hadn't told him, or anyone else actually, about my situation at home. I'm glad we can talk like this. So how are things with you? Are you planning on staying here long?"

"In a hurry to get rid of me, are you?" She winked as Joey's face revealed his shock that she'd think that, and then he relaxed and laughed as he realized she was just joking.

"You know better then that, don't you?"

"Uh huh, I do, but I couldn't resist. Actually, I think I will be sticking around for awhile. I found a nice office job and have picked up a couple of modeling jobs that helped me get settled in this place."

"That's awesome, Mai! You certainly are prettier then any of those overly made up cover girls I've seen," He smiled at her, pleased she was doing well for herself.

"That's awfully sweet of you to say, Joey, but I doubt you'll be seeing me on the cover of any magazines anytime soon. But a girl can dream," She smiled and sighed.

Joey could see there was something on her mind and he remembered how upset she seemed earlier at the park, so he decided to try comforting her as she had comforted him.

"Aw, don't sell yourself short, Mai. You're beautiful. I don't want to go all mushy on you or nothing, but I get the feeling something's bothering you. Anything you want to talk about? I'm here for you no matter what, you know."

Her face darkened and she was quiet for a little while before reaching down to her soda to take a sip. After she put it back on the table, she laid back into the couch and crossed her arms over her chest. Joey wanted to reach out to her, maybe to squeeze her shoulder or something, but he didn't want her to think he was coming onto her. Because she was a few years older then he was, Joey figured a guy like him had no chance with a girl like her. So it never even crossed his mind to tell her how he felt about her, choosing just to let his actions say what he could not with words.

"Beauty fades, Joey. I've been doing a lot of thinking about myself. About how I used to be and how superficial I was, only caring about myself. I know I told you a little about how I was before; how I worked at a casino. Playing games was my life. I used them to forget about the pain I felt over my parents never having time for me when I was growing up. I guess though, after what you've been through, that sounds silly, huh?"

Joey didn't care if she mistook his hand on her shoulder for something other than what he intended it. He scooted over just enough so he could reach over to her shoulder, and to his surprise she leaned against him, closing the distance between them as she rested her head on his shoulder. His face flushed and he felt lightheaded from being this close to her.

"No, I don't think it's silly at all. You know, all the things we go through in life can serve to make us stronger people, Mai. The things you went through helped shape who you are today. You shouldn't judge yourself so harshly. You're a good person, remember that."

"You're right, I know. I just feel that I could have done more if I had the support of my family when I needed it the most; during those days when I only had my deck as company. Now that I know how good it feels to have friends. I don't want to lose that."

"You won't. It's not just me who cares about you; Serenity, Yugi, Tea, Tristan and even Duke Devlin all care about you, and we'll all be there for you if you need us. Just like you've been there for me, Mai. You know, without you I wouldn't have been able to get that prize money to save Serenity's sight. I'll never forget what you did for me back in Duelist Kingdom," Joey moved his arm around her shoulder and squeezed, hoping to reassure her of his sincerity.

When she moved her hand to his leg, patting his thigh he knew it had helped. Then Mai sat back up straight; he could see the familiar sparkle was back in her violet eyes. She smiled at him gratefully and then looked over at the television, picking up the remote and switching over to the TV Guide channel to see if something worth watching might be on.

"Boy, there isn't much on tonight. What do you say to a friendly game of poker?"

Joey had played poker a few times with Yugi and Tristan, but he wasn't much good at it. Still it sounded like fun and he smiled as he nodded.

"Why not? I warn you, though, I'm not much good at poker."

She laughed as she got up from the couch, "So we'll play with poker chips. Its not like I don't have plenty of those lying around. I'll order a pizza too; want anything special on it?" With a wink, Mai headed off to her room.

'_Man, I am so glad I didn't upset her when I put my arm around her like that. I bet she didn't get much affection from her family. I know how that feels; hopefully it made her feel better. And hopefully I won't humiliate myself too badly at cards,'_

"As long as it doesn't have those smelly fishy things on it I don't care. Whatever you want is fine with me, Mai," he called answering her.

Mai came back with a round chip holder that had rows of red, white and black poker chips. She sat down and put the chip caddy down onto the coffee table, along with the deck of cards she'd brought out with her. She went to grab her portable phone and Joey overheard her ordering them a large pizza with everything on it but anchovies. She came back, sat down, and soon they were playing poker. She switched off the television and turned on the stereo, putting on a local radio station, making sure the volume wasn't set too high.

The doorbell rang about forty minutes later, her chip pile stacked twice as high as Joey's. She got up to answer the door and Joey looked over to make sure it was the pizza delivery guy. She looked over her shoulder at him as she paid the young teen for the pizza, and after giving him a nice tip he left and she closed the door, locking it before coming back to the living room.

"Let me go get us some fresh drinks, napkins and plates. I'll be right back, Joey. Don't you dare look at my hand or you'll regret it," she laughed as she disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Joey smiling sitting on the couch.

-o-

"You are too good at poker Mai. I can see working at a casino really sharpened your card playing skills," Joey smirked at the blonde as she grinned from ear to ear triumphantly at winning his last few chips.

"Well, you know what they say; try to find a job doing something you enjoy, and I always enjoyed taking people for all they had when playing cards."

She stretched and yawned as Joey picked up the cards and straightened them out before putting them back into their box. Then Mai reached down to start, putting the chips back into the caddy. Joey helped her and soon the table looked orderly again, except for the dirty plates, empty pizza box and used napkins.

"Let me get rid of the box and take the plates to the kitchen, Mai. It's the least I can do, seeing as it was your treat." He stood up, stacked their plates together, put the crushed napkins on the pizza box and went to take everything into the kitchen.

"Thanks, Joey. I think I'm going to go take a shower and get ready to hit the sack. It's getting late, and if I'm not mistaken you have school in the morning, right?"

Joey nodded and looked over his shoulder at Mai as he left her sight. After putting the two plates in the immaculate sink, he folded the cardboard pizza box in half so it would fit into the trashcan. Then he tossed the napkins into the trashcan before going back to the sink. He smiled as he turned on the hot water and picked up the yellow sponge. Picking up the apple scented soap, he squirted some onto the sponge and held it underneath the running water.

Mai came in and giggled, "You didn't have to do that, you know."

"I know; I wanted to, though. I really appreciate you letting me crash here on your couch tonight, Mai. That was really cool of you," Joey looked over at Mai, who was leaning against the refrigerator, holding her soda can.

She lifted it up, and after quickly finishing it off she tossed it into the trashcan, "It's nothing, Joey, really. I'm glad we ran into each other tonight. I had a great time with you, and I really enjoyed beating you at cards."

Joey laughed as he shook his head. He rinsed the first plate he'd washed and after letting the water drip off of it for a few moments he put it into the dish rack before starting on the second one.

"I had fun too, Mai. You're a real card shark, you know that?"

Mai laughed and nodded, "Well I didn't make the big bucks by losing, hun. I'm going to get a pillow and some blankets for you. I'll leave them on the couch for you ok?"

"Sure thing. I hope I don't snore too loud tonight. If I do just shake me or something."

He finished washing the second plate and after he had placed it neatly in the dish rack by the other one, he ripped off a couple of paper towels and dried his hands. He tossed the damp paper towels into the trashcan and then left the kitchen. Mai had already brought out a purple comforter and a fluffy purple pillow that she'd laid on top of the folded comforter. Joey stifled a yawn and sat down. He bent over and took his shoes off, and then he put them near his backpack on the floor.

He could hear when Mai turned on the shower and had the urge to pull out his notebook to work on his story for a little while. Taking out his pen, he opened the notebook to where he'd written down his ideas for Jack Havoc's fictional adventures. There were also various names he'd thought about using as his penname the story was listed under, all scratched out except for the one he'd decided on. That was circled with a star drawn next to it. He turned to a fresh page; two pages past the area he had used for notes about the plot.

He was lost in the story he was creating, thinking about how to best describe the first stake out Jack does to observe Mrs. Tonya Hanson's husband, Paul Hanson. Joey wrote quickly; it was exciting for him to see his ideas coming together as he scripted out Jack's impressions of what he saw during that first stake out. He didn't notice when Mai turned off the shower, and he was startled when he heard the door to the bathroom being opened. For a moment, he forgot where he was and half expected his father to jump out, brandishing a belt or just his fists, ready to smack him.

'_Oh my God, that freaked me out! I damn near screamed. I can't believe how deeply I can get involved in this story. I better act like I am doing homework. I trust Mai not to talk to anyone about what I told her regarding Dad, but if she caught me writing a story who knows what her reaction would be.'_

Joey flipped back close to the beginning of the notebook and acted like he was going over homework. Mai was wearing a white bathrobe and had her hair wrapped in a lavender towel. She looked over at Joey and smiled.

"I'm going to blow my hair dry in my room and then go to bed. I usually get up around six-thirty. When do you need to get up to be ready for school?"

"Uh, six-thirty's fine with me, Mai. Thanks again for letting me stay over tonight. This couch is really comfortable."

"Ok, I'll get you up after I start a pot of coffee. I'm glad you're here Joey instead of sleeping in the park or somewhere. If you need anything, let me know. If you get thirsty or hungry there's all kinds of stuff in the refrigerator, so help yourself, hun. Goodnight."

"Thanks, Mai. Goodnight."

Joey watched her as she went to her bedroom and closed her door. A few minutes later, he heard the distinct sound of a hair dryer and he went right back to writing. He kept at it for what seemed like an hour, but when he glanced at the clock he realized he'd been at it for an hour and half. He had almost finished the entire second chapter and seeing how it was getting late, Joey turned back to the beginning of chapter two and laid down on the couch, snuggling underneath the velvety comforter.

-o-

Twenty minutes later he drifted off to sleep, the notebook falling to the floor beside him as his hands went limp. He didn't hear Mai coming out, nor did he wake up when she picked up his notebook and began reading what he'd drafted out, starting at the notes he'd made. She took it with her into the kitchen to get a glass of water and then she sat down on a padded stool to continue reading what Joey had written. She smiled when she saw his chosen penname and Mai recognized the website address that was above _RedEyesDuelist_. She decided to pay a visit to that site tomorrow on her lunch break to look up his story to check out the first chapter he'd written. The way he depicted the characters and his plans for the action impressed her.

'_Who knew you were capable of creating such an interesting story? I can't wait to read the first chapter. If it's half as good as this one is I'm sure people will like it as much as I do. You surely are full of surprises, Joseph Wheeler. Yes you are.'_


	3. The Swing of Things

Author Note: I do not own Yugioh or any of the characters from the show. I hope you enjoy this story and I look forward to seeing what people think of it. If you like it please R&R. I don't expect this to be a long story like my other two Yugioh fics, but I think it will be a fun ride as it moves along. Just a warning this story will contain spoilers for Battle City and possibly the Noah's Virtual World saga. This fic has been beta read by Minor Arcana; a big thank you to her for all her help and advice on the story.

Dog Days Chapter Three: The Swing of Things

-o-

Joey waved goodbye to Mai as he walked away from her car. She'd been so nice to him and insisted on taking him to school even though it had meant that he got there forty minutes before class began. He shifted his backpack from his back, lowering it to his hand. There were only a few kids roaming around the campus, the air was just starting to warm up and he knew it would become unbearable by lunchtime. Since he had nothing else to do Joey decided to go to the outdoor picnic tables near the cafeteria and work some more on his story.

A few minutes later Joey sat down at one of the six empty picnic tables and looked around. There were only a couple of kids walking towards different parts of the school; the cafeteria being a central feature of Domino High, allowed Joey a good view of most of the buildings the classrooms were in. After he was sure no one was watching him, Joey took out his notebook and opened it to where he'd left off last night. It brought a smile to his face seeing that he was ready to start the next chapter and he took out his pen from his backpack.

He flipped to a fresh page and started writing. Deciding to open chapter three with the wife of Jack's target coming in to see him at his office. It didn't take Joey long before he was three pages into it and when he looked around he saw that it was getting to be too risky to keep writing, so he reluctantly closed his notebook and put it and his pen away. A voice from behind him startled him; it was a familiar voice, one that usually made him shout back in anger and this time was no different. Joey turned around and faced none other then Seto Kaiba, who stood there with his silver briefcase looking down his sharp nose at the young blonde.

"So the mutt is all alone and actually working on homework for a change eh?"

Joey clenched his teeth and glared at the CEO, "Oh please moneybags, mind yer own business for a change will ya?"

'_I swear to God he has to be the most **arrogant** son of a bitch on the face of the planet! Why does he have to bug me like this?'_

"Oh I do mind my own business mutt, unlike you I actually have a business to mind. Try to keep your stupidity to yourself for once why don't you."

And with that the tall brunette casually turned away from Joey and went towards their first class, which unfortunately Joey and the gang were in as well. Cursing under his breath, Joey stood up and upon seeing Yugi walking towards him, he started over to meet up with him.

"Hi Joey, I waited for you at the corner but I had to leave or else I'd have been late. How did you get here before I did?"

Yugi looked confused and Joey resisted the urge to snap at his friend. Yugi had no way of knowing Kaiba had once again tried to set him off and initiate some conflict between them. He sighed and shook his head as he met Yugi's gaze.

"I'm sorry Yug, my dad gave me a lift to school and I forgot to call you. Sorry about that man," he hated lying to his friend but the truth would only upset the young teen.

"It's ok Joey. I was just worried when you didn't show up. So what do you say we meet up after school and go to the arcade or something?"

Joey smiled, but he'd planned that he could go to the library to type up his second chapter so that he could get it posted this afternoon. So he tried to think of some believable excuse.

"Uh, I can't today. I have to study for exams and my dad has some things he needs me to do at home. How about this weekend we do something?"

Yugi's smile faded slightly and Joey felt bad for lying, but he didn't want anyone to know he was actually writing a story or that his dad was so abusive the only things he wanted Joey to do was to be out of his greasy hair.

"Ok Joey, sure. Maybe you could stay the night Friday and we could meet up with the gang Saturday at the arcade. Anyway let's get going we don't want to be late for class," Yugi smiled up at his blonde friend and the two headed off towards their first class, just as the bell rang to signal students had five minutes to get to their classrooms.

-o-

Joey waved goodbye to his friends as he headed off to the library. They had all said they were going to the arcade so he had no thought of being discovered when he was on the library computer. He actually whistled as he walked along the sidewalk in the summer heat. He was sweating pretty badly by the time he got there, but he went to the bathroom and splashed some cold water on his face. After he dried his hands off and dabbed at his face with some paper towels he left to go sign up for a computer.

"Hello young man, nice to see you again. You can go right over to any of the open machines. If you need anything just let me know," replied the same librarian he'd met yesterday, he looked at her nametag and decided to thank her using her name.

"Thanks Mrs. Reynolds. I will," Joey grinned over his shoulder as he made his way over to the same computer he'd used yesterday.

Laying his backpack down he loaded up his email and was shocked to see he'd gotten a few review alerts meaning people had already read his first chapter. Opening the first one he grinned as he read the text:

You have a new review for your story 'Jack Havoc Private Eye' from 'DarkAssasin'

_Wow I really liked this chapter a lot. Please update soon RedEyesDuelist! Can't wait to see what Jack does next. _

Joey grinned and then opened the next review alert, this one was from someone using the name 'RoseWhipLady'

_Nicely written story RedEyesDuelist. I look forward to seeing what Jack discovers about his first client. I have to wonder if there isn't something he will see that might show his client has other reasons for wanting her husband followed. I'll keep my theories about it to myself for now, but I wanted to leave a review to encourage you to keep going and that I found your use of imagery quite entertaining._

Joey's grin widened as he read that one. There was one more and he was afraid it might be a flamer, but then he figured someone would flame him over it at some point so he held his breath as he opened the last emailed review alert. It was from a person using the name 'AngelofDeath'

_This story is a complete joke. I'm sure my dog could do a better job then you did. Thanks for the laugh-looking forward to flaming your next efforts._

Joey rolled his eyes and then logged out of his email account to get started on typing up his second chapter. He was pretty involved in what he was doing so he didn't notice that he was being watched from the other side of the room. A dark haired man wearing a black suit, was sitting at a table with a book in front of him that he was obviously not interested in, and he had his eyes glued onto the young blonde.

-o-

'_There we go. Chapter two all set to post. Hope people like it. What a trip knowing other people are reading my stuff. Reading those reviews really makes me want to keep on with it. I wonder how many chapters it's gonna end up being,'_

Joey pondered that for awhile as he went over the second chapter one last time before hitting the save button that would post the entry adding it to his first chapter. Leaning back against the chair Joey looked down at his notebook, he read over the three pages he'd gotten done earlier and decided to type that up next. He glanced around to see if he would have to give up his spot on the computer anytime soon and from the looks of it he was just fine. There were at least twelve empty cubicles so he focused on transcribing the three pages into a new text document and then he kept on going.

He managed to get five more pages done before deciding to call it a night. Joey uploaded the rough draft to his user area on the website, saving it there so he could come back to it tomorrow and add more to it. He also printed off the eight pages he'd finished so he could keep going with it tonight. When the printer spat out the final page Joey took it and went to the main desk to pay for the copies and to thank Mrs. Reynolds again for use of the library computers. The kindly older woman smiled warmly at him and he told her he'd probably see her tomorrow to which she chuckled. He left shortly thereafter and hoped his father wasn't home. Or if he was home he prayed he wasn't awake and in a foul mood.

'_The last thing I need is for him to knock me around tonight. I know I can't stay at Mai's again, even though we had fun. I don't want her feeling sorry for me. Who knows? Dad might be out with his drinking buddies if I'm lucky.'_

Joey sighed as he walked home. He couldn't get Jack Havoc out of his mind and he thought about what he'd have Jack do next.

'_It's too early for the murder to happen, so maybe I will just string the stake out along for another chapter. I can have it end with him talking to the wife about what he found out. Then I can open the next chapter with a bit about a second stake out where he'll get more information about the mistress. That will be perfect I bet,'_ Joey smiled thinking about it as he continued walking.

Ten minutes later he was home and cautiously opening his front door. He wrinkled his nose when the stench of vomit and booze hit him hard as he swung the door open.

'_Dammit, he's here. No mistaking that horrific odor. God I hope I don't have to help him to the bathroom again. Ugh!'_

"Where the hell have you been boy?" demanded his father in a tone of voice that chilled the blonde teen's blood.

"Sorry Dad, I lost track of time I guess. I was out with friends," Joey lied, something second nature to him when facing this volatile foe.

"Whatever, I don't really care what you were doing. Go get me another beer and make it snappy!"

"Yes sir," Joey rushed off to the kitchen, dropping his backpack on the floor beside the kitchen table as he opened the refrigerator to retrieve a cold beer for his father.

'_Next he's gonna order me to clean up his mess out there. I wish he'd make it to the bathroom to puke damn him.' _

So began another night of torture for the young teen as he walked on eggshells hoping to avoid angering his irrational father who was well on his way to becoming inebriated.

-o-

"So you posted another chapter did you Wheeler? I wonder if it'll be any better then first chapter of mindless dribble you put up the day before," Seto Kaiba mused quietly to himself.

He was sitting in his office working on his laptop; he'd been surprised that Joey Wheeler had been spotted at the library and even more amazed when the third rate duelist had actually set up an email account and registered a username to post stories on a popular website. This was only a minor distraction for the CEO as he had work left to attend to. But after hearing from Hamilton, the man he'd assigned today to silently observe Joey's activities at the library, the young brunette was just satisfying his curiosity as to what would draw his wannabe rival to actually get a library card, let alone go to the library itself.

'_Oh this is pathetic. I don't know that I can make myself actually read this trash. Jack Havoc. What a lame name for a character. I can't believe other people read this and actually liked it,' _

After getting to the end of the second chapter of Joey's story Seto couldn't resist leaving another condescending review for the _RedEyesDuelist_, as the _AngelofDeath_ and it left him smiling.

_Just when I thought it was bad it gets even worse. I hope you have a day job because you sure won't make it as any sort of real writer. Real authors know what a thesaurus is and skillfully use it; try getting some new lines. This Jack guy is about as fresh as twice-recycled newspaper only newspaper is useful unlike this flat one-dimensional monotonous excuse for a protagonist. Tell me Red, do you even KNOW what a protagonist is?_

Seto chuckled as he read over his review again; he was sure Wheeler would be real miffed when he read that in his inbox. He even thought back to this morning and how guilty the dog had looked when he'd come up behind him, like he'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. After he hit the submit button Seto Kaiba went back to his work and didn't think anymore about Joey Wheeler and his stupid story. He had bigger fish to fry and was sure that his last review would make the mutt so angry he'd probably take his dumb story down which would suit the CEO just fine.

'_We'll just see what you do next Wheeler, was catching you this morning a fluke or are you really writing for the hell of it? I find it hard to believe that you would ever do something as creative as writing a story just spontaneously without a teacher slapping down a due date.'_

Seto soon caught up with what he'd been working on and he shifted in his leather chair before settling back into his working rhythm, long fingers fluidly stroking over the keys of the keyboard in rapid motions as he watched the long lines of code he entered. He didn't have time to write and barely had time to read as much as he'd like to, but in the back of his mind it still puzzled him as to what would bring about this change in the brash blonde friend of Yugi's. Seto worked for another two hours before he left Kaiba Corp HQ to go home. He was tired, but already looking forward to taking a long bath and relaxing his muscles, stiff from working too long in one position.

-o-

Mai Valentine groaned as she read the latest review on poor Joey's private eye story. Some goofball going by the morbid name of AngelofDeath really flamed the new chapter that Joey had apparently found time to post tonight. She took a bite from her meatball sub and smiled at another person who'd posted a second favorable review. She didn't think that Joey's story was bad enough that it warranted flaming it so badly. If that person had flamed any of her stories she'd have laughed it off, but she wasn't sure Joey was going to be able to ignore that scathing review the person left.

Granted 'Jack Havoc Private Eye' wasn't best seller material, but from the sweet look on his face when she'd come out last night and read from his notebook while Joey slept she could tell that the young man had enjoyed working on his little story. And to her that made it good enough to encourage him to keep writing. She'd never tell him she was RoseWhipLady of course, or that she'd written some of her own stories, but that didn't mean she wouldn't support her friend in his own literary endeavors, albeit anonymously.

She opened a new add review window and put down her sandwich to type in her own review.

_That was a really cool chapter. I liked how you had Jack tailing Mrs. Hanson's husband and that he had his camcorder zoomed in on the action between his subject and his brunette companion I thought was pretty realistic. Sadly there are a lot of unfaithful spouses in the world and I'm sure Jack won't run out of potential cases to work on. Great job on this story so far RedEyesDuelist! Keep on writing, I'm really looking forward to how Mrs. Hanson reacts to seeing the video footage Jack shot of her cheating husband. From your characterizations she seems like one tough cookie though._

Mai hit the submit button and went back to her meatball sub. She surfed around a little before she shut down her laptop. Then she went out to the living room to see if there was anything worth watching on television. Thoughts of Joey ran through her mind as she wondered if he was all right tonight. She couldn't get it out of her head that Joey might be forced out of his home again and could be sleeping in the park or some other unsafe place.

'_I hope you're ok Joey. No one deserves to be treated like that. I wish there was something I could to help, but at least I can follow your progress on your story. Maybe things I said last night and what I said as RoseWhipLady will offer you the comfort you need.'_

She finally decided on watching a Tom Cruise action flick that was on one of the movie channels to try to get her mind off things she had no power to change. Mai laid down on the purple velvet; unable to get the image out of her mind of how peaceful Joey looked last night as he'd slept and the blonde sighed sadly as she tried to focus on the movie. It wasn't long before she gave up on the movie and flipped around the channels looking for something else. She eventually settled on one of those twenty-four hour news channels, but she still worried about her friend and felt a deep longing, almost stabbing loneliness she'd recognized in Joey.

-o-

It was after nine when Joey was finally able to go to his room and escape the drunken antics of his abusive father. He had an ice pack he kept moving around from his arms to his cheek. His father had been in a particularly foul mood and had taken his frustration out on the young teen. So far his father hadn't forced him to leave again which was good, but the heartless jerk had punched Joey twice on his left cheek for supposedly looking at him funny. And then he'd pounded on his son's upper arms like he was a punching bag he was using to get ready to face off against some pro boxer or something.

'_One of these days I'm going to get away from all this. I don't know how or when exactly, but I am not going to live in fear for the rest of my life. He is the failure here, not me, no kid should have to live like this and no kid of mine ever will.'_

Joey flopped down onto his bed, still holding the ice pack to his bruised cheek. He knew he'd have trouble trying to hide the evidence of his father's rage in the morning, but he'd think of something to tell anyone who asked about what happened. Most of the time people, even teachers never asked him about the bruises he had. He assumed it was because everyone knew about his history of running with some bad characters in the past. People that would make Bandit Keith look like a Boy Scout.

He didn't know whether that was a good thing or a bad thing and at this point in his life he really didn't care. Joey had no desire to go to college, his goals were more realistic. He just wanted to get a halfway decent job and get the hell out of this house and away from his father. To do that however, he knew he needed to graduate and as this was his junior year that meant he had over a whole year to get through before that could happen. He sighed bitterly and wondered why his father acted the way he did. Coming up with no answers, Joey moved the ice pack from his cheek to his left arm.

'_I wish I had a real father. The man out there is such a total stranger to me. I can barely remember what it was like when things were good here. If I ever have a family I will not make his mistakes, that's for damn sure.'_

He reached over and turned on his cheap stereo. Hitting play on the tape that was still in it, Joey tried to relax. It wasn't easy because he was afraid that his old man might want to beat on him some more so he made sure the volume wasn't loud enough to attract his father's attention. The sound of the television blaring in the living room offered him a shallow feeling of security because it meant that his music most likely wouldn't be noticed. But at the same time it made it that much harder to get his mind off the man out there watching it.

The stench of his father's vomit felt like it was burned into his nose and Joey tried not to think about how he'd had to get a bucket and the scrub brush to clean it up. Sometimes he felt like their roles were reversed with the exception of how his father still took care of the bills or the way he'd release his anger on Joey by hurting him either with words or fists and sometimes both like tonight. Despite all the pain his father inflicted on him, Joey felt sorry for him. It was sad that the only way he could relate to Joey was by trying to belittle him or slap him around.

'_I wonder sometimes if he even realizes how loathsome he's become over the years. How he can get up and go to work every day and come home only to start this cycle over again. He's a lost soul if ever I knew one. It's him. I doubt we'll ever see eye to eye.'_

Joey glanced at his backpack and thought about working on his story again. He was glad he'd start writing. It might not be something he would show to any of his friends and somehow having the anonymity of doing it under a penname made it easier for him to let loose his creative muse. He'd been pleasantly surprised to find he actually had one to unleash, unlike his father. He could not imagine him ever writing anything; the man never even read the newspaper anymore even though Joey brought one home every day and read through them himself. He was nothing like his father and hope still burned within his heart. Joey had his whole life ahead of him to find his way in the world, whereas his father's was practically done if he kept on drinking the way he was.

Since the television was still blaring and Joey was tired of thinking about his real life issues, he got up and put the ice pack down on his nightstand next to his stereo. Then he picked up his backpack and took out a folder he'd put the printed pages of what he had so far on chapter three. He also took out the notebook to have his notes to refer to, then he took out his pen and lay on his bed again on his stomach to read over what he had so far. He edited the text as best as he could using a pen, despite only have two days of work in on the story, he found he liked writing using the computer to be much easier.

Joey lost himself in his work and picked up where he'd left off after he finished editing what he'd gotten done earlier. After writing for about an hour he started to get so tired that he put his things away and turned off his stereo. The television was still blaring and he wasn't sure if his father was passed out by now or whether he was still conscious. He decided to risk going out of the sanctity of his bedroom to see if he could take a shower and get ready for bed. When there was no reaction from the living room as he tip toed down the hall he could hear the sounds of his father snoring.

'_Maybe I can get ready for bed in peace. Sure sounds like he's out of it thank God. I'm glad tomorrow is Wednesday. I can't wait until Saturday when the gang and I go to the arcade. That should be a lot of fun.'_

The blond entered the bathroom and quietly shut the door behind him. He got undressed and turned the shower on, then waited. After a couple minutes passed with no loud knock at the door he knew he was safe for the moment. Finally Joey Wheeler got into the shower. He let his mind drift as he washed his hair and body. The warmth of the water felt good and he imagined all the pain his father put him through oozing out from his skin and being washed away by the cascading streams of soapy water, taking it far away from him and down the drain. Something he had gotten in the habit of doing because it made him feel better.

By the time Joey got back to his room he was ready to pass out on his bed. After he got into a pair of blue pajamas his eyes were feeling very heavy and he had trouble keeping them open as he turned off the light. Climbing under the sheets he sighed contentedly and thought about the time he'd spent with Mai last night. He hoped she was all right and wasn't worrying herself too much over him. No matter what Joey would survive, he'd been through tough times and always managed to get through it mostly intact and he was certain that he'd get through this too.


	4. Everything In Good Time

Author Note: I do not own Yugioh or any of the characters from the show. I hope you enjoy this story and I look forward to seeing what people think of it. If you like it please R&R. I don't expect this to be a long story like my other two Yugioh fics, but I think it will be a fun ride as it moves along. Just a warning this story will contain spoilers for Battle City and possibly the Noah's Virtual World saga. This fic has been beta read by Minor Arcana; a big thank you to her for all her help and advice on the story.

Dog Days Chapter Four: Everything In Good Time

-o-

Tension filled the air between the two best friends as they walked to school in silence. Joey had immediately seen the concern in his friend's eyes when Yugi had seen his bruised cheek. It was a shame that when they had gym class later his battered arms would be visible while he changed into his gym clothes, and the thought of it made the young teen sad. Yugi hadn't asked him what happened, and he could only pray that he didn't suspect where his injuries really came from.

One thing that helped get Joey through those moments where his father was laying into him was thinking about his friend, Yugi; how he didn't live in conditions like he had to endure and that out there in the world Yugi was alive and well. He didn't know what to say, so he just kept on walking next to Yugi, waiting for him to break the ice that had formed between them the moment his friend came up and saw him standing at the corner waiting for him. After greeting each other they'd both fallen silent. As it turned out, Joey didn't have to wait too long as they were almost at school.

"So, Joey, do you still want to come over Friday and spend the night?" Yugi smiled as he posed the question.

"Sure, Yugi. If you still wanna have me over, that is," Joey smiled, even though it made his face ache.

"Of course I do! It will be fun," Joey saw Yugi's expression change and he held his breath afraid of what he might be about to say. "Joey, can I ask you something?"

'_Oh boy, here it comes. He's going to ask about my face, I just know it.'_

Joey nodded, dreading whatever it was that his friend wanted to ask him about, "Sure pal, what's up?"

"How come you've never had me over at your place? Like to stay over or something," Yugi bit his bottom lip, his expression deathly serious.

"Uh…You know why, your place is so much cooler then my run down house. Plus your gramps is fun to be around, what with all the stories he talks about. and things are never dull at the game shop," Joey swallowed at the feeling of a lump in his throat and hoped Yugi would let it go at that.

"Yeah, well, I was just curious and was thinking maybe we could stay over at your place sometime." Yugi brightened up, but Joey saw that there were still traces of worry in his friend's face.

"Nah, you'd be bored silly, Yug, trust me. Plus my old man is funny about having people over," Joey sighed, his heart feeling very heavy as he tried to gloss over the truth of the matter. He knew his dad would never allow him to have a friend overnight, let alone have anyone over when he was home. And besides that, Joey didn't want anyone to ever find out how bad it really had become between him and his father.

"Maybe…Oh well, it doesn't really matter. I've just been wondering about it for awhile and thought I would ask you," Yugi's big violet eyes appeared sad even though he was trying to smile. Joey was concerned that he might have guessed what the real reason was behind Joey's reluctance to have anyone at his place, but Yugi didn't seem to want to pursue it further.

-o-

A breeze blew gently, making leaves rustle on the trees around the two teens as they started up the steps of the school. They were a little early as they usually were, so the two friends went to their lockers to drop off books they didn't need right away and to get any they did need. Joey didn't feel safe leaving his story notebook or the folder with his printed pages in his locker, so he kept them hidden in his backpack. Yugi leaned up against the lockers while Joey was riffling through his things, almost ready to close his locker back up.

"Are you busy after school, Yug?" Joey asked, hoping that if he spent some time with his friend he could help him to stop worrying about him.

That made Yugi smile, "No. Did you want to hang out or something?"

Joey nodded, "Yeah, if you don't have something going on. Maybe we could go to the park or Burger World if you'd rather."

"Sounds great, Joey! Maybe Tristan and Tea can join us?"

"I think I see Tea coming this way Yug, why not ask her?" Joey flashed his trademark smile and Yugi returned it warmly then he waved at Tea.

'_I sure wish I could go to the library, though. I'm close to being done with chapter three and would like to see if anyone else left a review for chapter two yet or not,' _Joey thought to himself.

Just then all the kids stopped talking and Joey saw the sea of students parting as Seto Kaiba waltzed his way down the hall, reveling in the effect he had on the student body. He had one hand in his trouser pocket and the other on his silver briefcase as he strolled along boldly to be the first one in the classroom. Joey turned back to his locker and shut it. He did not want to have anything to do with Kaiba today; after yesterday he'd had all he could stomach of the snobby CEO. He'd made a point of mocking Joey when he'd been called up to the board to work out a math problem. It wasn't so much what he'd said, but the knowing stare he'd grown to loathe over the years. That damned smirk that could make his stomach twist into knots and his jaw clench shut, just from the sheer audacity of the guy for looking at him that way.

Tea joined Joey and Yugi at his locker, and as Joey was putting the combination lock onto it Kaiba sneered down his nose at them as he walked past. For once, no words were exchanged; a pleasant surprise to be sure, but Joey had understood that look completely. It was as if Kaiba was daring him to say something when he smirked at their group. But Joey had no intention of giving old moneybags the upper hand today if he could avoid it, and Yugi smiled at Joey as if to congratulate him on being able to resist the temptation of having another go at the CEO.

The other students around them resumed talking now that Kaiba had entered the classroom and wasn't lingering in their midst. Yugi asked Tea if she had plans later, and she said she had dance class, so that meant it might only be Tristan, Joey and Yugi getting together after school. They were interrupted by a bunch of girls at the end of the hall that were making all kinds of noise, and then they heard a familiar voice amongst the female chatter.

"Relax ladies, there's plenty of me to go around. No need to get so worked up," Duke Devlin commented coolly, as he made his way through the wall of young women.

"Hi Duke!" Yugi called out.

Duke nodded over at the group that was now moving towards the classroom just as the first bell sounded. He waited at the door for them and they all entered together; as usual Kaiba had his nose in a book, ignoring everyone. The teacher was sitting at her desk watching the incoming students, and the group of friends stood by the door for a while, talking quietly. Tristan appeared and was invited to join Yugi, Joey and Duke after school to Burger World, to which he eagerly agreed. The bell rang, and everyone took his or her seats quickly as the school day began.

-o-

It was almost five thirty when Joey got home. He was tired from trying to keep up with his friends; his arms ached and his face was throbbing. He went right for the kitchen cabinet that had the Advil and band-aids, taking out the bottle that felt like an old friend. Joey went to the refrigerator and looked behind all the beer to see if there was a can of soda left from a twelve pack he'd gotten earlier this week. By his count, he should have three left and he soon found what he was looking for. Joey closed the refrigerator and then opened the soda first, followed by the bottle of Advil, which he flipped over into his palm to get two orange pain relievers from it.

Joey popped them into his mouth, put the bottle down and then lifted the can to his lips, taking two big sips to wash the pills down with. He sighed and replaced the lid on the Advil bottle. He then put the bottle back in the cabinet before moving to sit down on one of the two kitchen chairs.

Joey put his hands on his temples and gently rubbed them in small circles, as if doing so would lighten his overburdened mind. He'd missed being able to go to the library, but if his dad came home, telling him to get out, he could easily go spend the early evening at the library and get his next chapter finished, possibly even get it posted. If his father didn't force him out tonight, then he'd stay in his room and work on his story.

When he'd been out with his friends he'd gotten some ideas for having Jack out at a burger joint and what kind of people he'd encounter there, based on some of the odd characters that he'd noticed at Burger World. In fact, Joey was looking at the world in a different light. It was like he was writing in his mind, even though he had neither pen nor paper in hand, making mental notes about things that he saw that struck him as possibly being good additions to his story. From the pimply-faced red head that'd taken their orders at Burger World to the frail old man they'd seen using a powered scooter to get to the corner store as they'd left the restaurant, all of them were noteworthy in their own special way.

'_I wish I had a laptop or a computer here at home. I could get so much more done on my story if I didn't have to go to the library to get chapters typed up to post on the site.'_

He sighed as he lifted his head from his hands and reached down to his backpack to retrieve his writing tools. No sooner had he pulled out the notebook and his pen, he heard the front door being opened, so he quickly shoved his things back into his backpack and jumped out of his seat, holding his backpack in one hand and his can of soda in the other. Joey tried to get to his room, but his father spotted him and called out to him.

"Hey, girly boy! Where do you think you're going?"

"I was just gonna go to my room. I got a headache and was gonna go lay down or something," Joey stated, facing his father, wishing he was anywhere in the world but here looking at the elder Wheeler who seemed to feel nothing for his son but contempt.

"Doesn't surprise me at all, you _are_ a headache. Stay out of my way kid, if you know what's good for you."

Joey nodded and turned to hide out in his room before his dad had a change of heart. He shut the door behind him and then went to his bed and sat down. The television came to life out in the living room and Joey groaned. He couldn't understand how his father could listen to it so loud and he wondered if maybe his old man was losing his hearing to some degree. It wouldn't shock him if he was; he had worked in a factory for close to fifteen years now, and the noise there was deafening. Joey remembered when his mother had taken him and his then baby sister to see him at work one time to pick him up, so they could all go out to lunch together.

It hadn't worked out at al,l and he could still recall how upset his mother had been as she'd come back to the car in tears, the sounds of the heavy machinery scaring Serenity. She'd told them that their father wasn't going to come out with them after all and that they would go out, just the three of them. That had been only one of the many times he'd seen his mother crying after things had begun to deteriorate between her and his father. He'd done his best to try to shield his sister from the verbal sparring sessions between his parents, but by the time his mother had filed for divorce there was no doubt that his family was fractured beyond any hope of reconciliation.

He looked around the room, noticing stains running down most of the walls. They were from times his father had stood in the door and flung a drink at Joey, raging at him, teetering on the edge of sanity. If he tried to wipe them down with soap and water they would not stay clean for long, so he'd given up trying to keep his room free of the foul pollution his father spewed everywhere throughout their broken home. Joey longed to be free of this deplorable existence that was painfully tainted by the inevitable almost inescapable torture his father heaped upon the young man without shame, or caring about the consequences of his actions.

'_Mai's place is so nice; I want to be able to have a clean safe place to live in. I don't think that's asking too much, dammit. Once I graduate I am _so_ out of here, I don't care if I have to like start off in a cheap studio apartment all in one room. Anything would be better then continuing to live here with _him_.'_

Joey sat on his bed and put the soda on his nightstand by his stereo, then he rested his backpack against the bed on the floor. Looking down at his feet, the young blonde thought about having his own place and one way or another Joey Wheeler would see that dream become a reality. He had survived thus far, and short of his father strangling the life out of his fragile shell of flesh, he knew he would keep on surviving.

Shaking the grim thoughts of death away, he then turned on his stereo and reached down to his backpack; already forming the thoughts he wanted to place upon paper.

He might not be able to escape his prison for good right now, but he at least could stay within the confines of his own mind and put forth something of his own creation. Jack Havoc, his main character; there was an irresistible attraction to move his adventures onward.

As Joey fished out his pen, notebook and the folder with what he had so far on chapter three he was thinking about his story. His eye locked onto a page in the front of his notebook he'd missed; it was from Mai! She'd left her number to her apartment and her cell phone, telling him to call her.

He smiled at the thought of her doing something like this and he decided that he would call her soon to thank her for having him over like that. The rock music played softly in the background as Joey pulled his feet up onto his bed and crossed them in front of him, moving his notebook onto his knees, pen already in hand. Ideas flowed from the young teen, and as they focused in front of him Joey could see Jack in his mind as he wrote about him sitting in his navy blue Ford Taurus.

_The camera caught all of it; zooming in on the figure of Mr. Paul Hanson who had his right arm wrapped tightly around the waist of his young redheaded companion as they walked away from his silver BMW. Jack held the cone shaped external microphone up to catch the couple's playful bantering. Things he knew would shatter his client upon hearing, but the lady had hired him and that meant he owed her; no matter what that truth was that he uncovered, his client had paid him to tail this arrogant cheater, and that was exactly what he'd do._

Joey moved along swiftly and before he knew it he'd completely finished the stake out and made the transition to the final scene of chapter three where Jack confronts Mrs. Hanson with his initial findings. He wrote about her reaction and making it somewhat impartial, as if the truth were already known and accepted and all that was left was for the proud woman to admit her defeat before beginning to move on in her life. Joey smiled as he continued with the final scene and wrapped it up neatly with her asking him to continue his surveillance, leaving a white envelope concealing a check to the private eye to cover his continued service extending their current arrangement.

Stretching his arms out behind him, Joey yawned and glanced at the digital clock to his right, noting it was after eight. He uncurled his feet from under him and moved his notebook off his lap to the bed as pins and needles shot throughout his limbs. He muttered about how he could do with a desk in here, but looking around he knew there wasn't any room for one, and it would just be one more thing his father might use against him. It pissed the young teen off how his possessions were always fair game when it came to his father and his efforts to make his son's life sheer hell. He looked over to the dresser, remembering the large mirror that had once sat there which was long gone.

In all honesty, he didn't really miss the mirror. More often then not, it had only served to remind him of the ugliness of his life, reflecting the fruits of his father's anger whenever it had been directed towards Joey. Loud thunderous steps shook the house, alerting the young man that his father was up and might be intent on pestering him.

Frantic he'd be discovered with his writing out, he shoved everything into his backpack and tossed it across the room onto a pile of laundry next to the scratched up dresser.

It was not a moment too soon. Joey had flicked his stereo off and watched impassively as his door was violently flung open, slamming against the wall where the doorknob had punched a hole in the wall many years ago. He met his father's angry gaze and sat silent in front of the red-faced figure of his drunken assailant. The door slamming had no power over Joey, but his father didn't care, he was just looking to pick a fight and punch something soft in his search for satisfaction. His chest was heaving as he sternly walked over to Joey and balled his fist.

"What the hell were you thinking, bitch! Did you think I wouldn't notice you messed around in the fridge? Did ya punk? You never touch my beer! Were you trying to steal some from me, huh?"

Joey shook his head and fought the urge to run past the man out into the night. He knew if he left he'd come back to a destroyed room, as he had before he'd learned that running from this man solved nothing. His only solution was time. He still held his father's gaze. In the back of his mind, the small hope still existed that this man might realize what he was doing and finally end his sadistic behavior towards the only flesh and blood he had left in this world. The fist connected with his already bruised cheek, adding to the agony the young man had endured all day. Tears welled up in his brown eyes as he looked up at the man he loathed so deeply; why couldn't he see what the hell he was doing? Why did he have to hurt him so badly? Why?

"Get up you sissy bitch, get up and take it like a man you freaking loafer! You got shit to do mister," red rimmed brown eyes met tearful ones briefly as Joey tried to pick himself up from his bed and stand, knowing that more was coming, yet totally helpless to stop this cycle as another fist slammed into his side.

Joey couldn't stop himself from crying out as he flew back down to his bed, clutching his abdomen. He felt cruel fingers coil into his hair and rip him up from the mattress back to his feet. He felt the breeze first, and then the ripping pain of being slapped on his good cheek. Red imprints of long fingers appeared there and Joey bit back tears. No one deserved to suffer like this, it wasn't right. Joey thought about Yugi, imagining he was out with him at the park, both of them going over their decks, laughing in the afternoon sun.

Even as he was thrown to the floor Joey protected himself by using the only measures he could, total submittal to his fate physically and complete defiance mentally. His dad might be able to beat down his body, but he'd never beat down his spirit. Not when Joey had Serenity and his friends to support him and love him. This was nothing compared to the knowledge that once he had broken away from this place he'd never have to look back and could let his soul fly free, as he let it fly now in his projected thoughts of being with his friend.

One thing he knew, this would pass; this attack, this week, this month. If he could make it through each day he would see his dream of being freed from this hell become reality and that helped him weather the storm of his father's anger. If that meant going out there and doing his dad's laundry, or cleaning the house, Joey would do it in the interests of trying to keep peace, even if it was only for the rest of the night. Tomorrow was another day, and one he prayed was better then how today had ended.

-o-

The sounds of rapidly moving fingers on a computer keyboard filled the brightly light office as Seto Kaiba continued working well past dinnertime. He was inputting long lines of complicated code and was quite engrossed in his work. When the phone rang, he scoffed at it before he stopped typing long enough to answer it.

"What?" his cold voice demanded.

"Mr. Kaiba, sir, your brother is on line two. Would you like me to take a message or put him through?" the female voice of his current secretary shook ever so slightly, indicating her fear of angering her boss.

"Put him through."

"Yes, sir."

Seto waited while the call was transferred and then he rolled his eyes when his brother's voice greeted him a little too enthusiastically for his taste.

"Hi, big brother! When are you coming home?"

"I'll be home when I'm home, Mokuba; you know this expansion for the virtual adventure game is very important and won't write itself, you know."

"Uh, right, sorry, Seto. I just…I just miss you is all. I'm sorry I bothered you…"

The blue-eyed CEO sighed as he realized he'd come across harder then he'd meant to and he changed his mind about calling it a day.

"No, little brother, I'm sorry. How about you have Johnson bring you here to come get me and we'll go out for something to eat. Would you like that?"

"Awesome! I'll see you soon then, Seto! Bye!" Seto chuckled as he hung up the phone, wearing a smile only his brother could bring to his face.

He saved what he was working on and then turned off the computer.

Booting up his laptop, Seto decided to check up on that story of the mutt's to see if he'd removed it yet or if he'd been brave enough to post another chapter to that drivel he'd put up yesterday. It disgusted him seeing more people had left encouraging reviews; did they even _read_ that garbage? Seto had to wonder, and, after seeing a name he recalled seeing that reviewed the first chapter, he clicked on the link to their profile.

Kaiba laughed upon seeing three 'R' rated stories with original characters and some characters from animated shows. The CEO saw all he needed to see to form an opinion about the person going by _RoseWhipLady_. With that he shut down the laptop, satisfied that the mutt would feel the burn of his last review soon enough and if he was lucky it might be all that the stubborn blonde could take making him so mad that he would remove his stupid story.

Only time would tell and if he dared to upload another chapter, Seto might feel like leaving another review, or he might not. He put his laptop in his briefcase, and leaving his office behind him, the young brunette headed out to meet his brother.

-o-

Mai was writing on one of her romantic stories when she noticed it was getting late. She couldn't help but think about Joey and hope he was all right. It had been weighing heavily on her mind ever since he'd slept over how he'd denied his father had been physical with him, but she'd gotten the impression he'd been hiding something. The feeling hadn't lessened any over time either; instead it grew stronger the more she thought about how he'd denied it. It had surprised her that he'd been willing to talk about his home life at all, and not for the last time, Mai Valentine wished there was something more she could do for her friend to ease his suffering.

She'd checked earlier to see if Joey had added anything else to his story but he hadn't. Mai knew how difficult it could be finding time to write, but from what she'd seen in his notebook he had plenty of ideas he wanted to develop. Hopefully, it was just that he hadn't gotten the chance to and not something that meant the young blonde was in some kind of trouble. As she took a sip of her berry wine cooler she shivered, letting out a little yelp of surprise, and then she hiccuped.

"Ooop!," Mai rolled her eyes at the annoying sensation of her diaphragm and her esophagus out of sorts.

'_Honestly, this sucks! I should drink these wine coolers slower.'_

Just then, her phone rang. Mai groaned; it was too soon to be Joey. With luck, it was her agent with news of a new modeling job she'd have to get ready for. She let the answering machine get it and then picked up after her agent began leaving a message for her. Oddly enough, her hiccups went away after that. Maybe it was the surprise of the phone interrupting the silence of the apartment, or maybe it was just that her mind wasn't thinking about them anymore.

"Hi Reggie, sounds like you got a good gig lined up for me."

The voice on the other end of the phone agreed with her and Mai went to get her purse to take out her daily planner so she could write down all the details as he gave them to her. She was already making a list of preparations she'd need to start on as soon as she got off the phone. Like getting her nails all polished as well as putting on a special facial mask that helped to keep her skin silky smooth despite all the heavy makeup that any modeling job required her to let a makeup artist put on her. By the time she hung up the phone, her mind was elsewhere, and even though she was occupied, part of her thoughts stayed on Joey Wheeler as she hoped he was safe.


	5. Truth and Care

Author Note: I do not own Yugioh or any of the characters from the show. I hope you enjoy this story and I look forward to seeing what people think of it. If you like it please R&R. I don't expect this to be a long story like my other two Yugioh fics, but I think it will be a fun ride as it moves along. Just a warning this story will contain spoilers for Battle City and possibly the Noah's Virtual World saga. This fic has been beta read by Minor Arcana; a big thank you to her for all her help and advice on the story.

Dog Days Chapter Five: Truth and Care

-o-

Joey knew that there was no hiding the bruises his dad had inflicted on him last night, and as he walked to the corner where he usually met Yugi, he considered not waiting for his spiky-haired friend, but then he saw him heading his way. The blonde sighed, afraid of what his friend would say and how he'd have to think of yet another lie to cover up for it. Yugi waved, and then, as he got closer, his eyes widened as he took in Joey's appearance.

"Oh my god! What _happened_ to you?"

"Uh, I got jumped on the way home last night. It's nothing to worry about. Shall we get going?" Joey tried to smile but felt his face was not cooperating and he ended up looking like he was sneering instead.

"Joey, _that_ is not nothing. This happens to you too much, no one gets into that many fights…" Yugi let his voice trail off and he looked like he was close to tears.

"No one but me, Yug. I guess I'm a fight magnet or something." Joey tried again to make light of his injuries as Yugi regarded him somberly.

"Why are you lying to me? Why do you think you have to go through this alone, Joey? Why?" Yugi reached up a hand up to Joey's arm and lightly squeezed it.

'_Yugi, are you sure this is the right time to do this?' c_ame the worried voice of Yugi's friend Yami, as he spoke to him through their mindlink.

'_You're kidding, right? There is **no** right time and I can't take it anymore. It **has** to be his father doing this to him, I know it has to be, and I can tell he's been lying about this for a long time. How can I help him if I can't get him to talk about it?'_

Even without the link, it was obvious to Yami that Yugi was close to breaking down.

'_All right,Yugi, but please try not to be angry with Joey. I can sense you are, and if you let that get in the way you can't help him.'_

Yugi didn't reply to Yami and stood with tears filling his eyes as he confronted his best friend.

"Yugi, will you please just drop it? I got in a fight, I get in fights and shit happens, so just lay off, will you?" Joey was hurt by his friend's accusations, and the fact that they were right on the nose hurt him even more.

"No, Joey, I will not drop it, I can't. How _long_ has he been hitting you like this?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Yugi, and I don't care to. If you don't mind, I'm going to school, so please take yer hand off my arm," Joey's eyes flashed with the anger he felt over being put in this position.

He knew Yugi was a very sensitive soul, and knowing that Joey's dad was knocking him around would really upset him, but then so would the fact he'd been lying to him about it for a while. Which was not something Joey had wanted to do, but he was thinking of protecting his friend. Yugi had been through so much from the time that he'd known him and _some_ of it had even been inflicted upon him by Joey himself, never mind that he'd been once under the influence of that psycho Marik and his Sennen Rod. He still harbored a lot of guilt over that incident, and even though Yugi might have forgiven him, _he_ couldn't forgive himself.

Slowly, Yugi removed his hand from Joey's arm, and then something happened to him. He got that fierce look he had sometimes that Joey had learned to recognize, as it usually meant trouble for whoever was facing off against his friend. Unfortunately, it was only Joey here and he wasn't about to let this other side of Yugi bully him into admitting the truth, not without a fight he wouldn't. He matched the grim expression that was on Yugi's face, as if daring him to do something to make him talk.

"Joey, I'm not your enemy here, and though it hurts to think about this, if you continue lying about it, things won't change. I only want to help you. So please, let me," Yugi's voice was fuller, deeper and exuded compassion beyond words, yet Joey wouldn't budge, he couldn't show weakness in front of his friend like that.

"Come on, Yugi, we're gonna be late. Forget about this, ok? Nothing is happening, I don't want to argue with you about it anymore." Joey started off. Yugi sighed behind him.

'_Yugi, I'm afraid this isn't helping,'_ Yami sounded as frustrated as he knew Yugi felt.

Staying glued to the spot, Yami folded his arms over his chest. Joey only got a few steps further before he saw that Yugi wasn't with him, so the blonde turned around to see a familiar-thought provoking sight he'd seen before. Crimson eyes glared defiantly at his brown ones, instantly deflating Joey's will to argue any further. He looked down in defeat at the sidewalk for a long moment before he heaved a heavy sigh, his shoulders falling when he finally spoke in a low voice.

"All right, my dad's been hitting me. There, I said it. Are you happy now? Can we _please_ forget about this and go to school?" Joey stood motionlessly, feeling weak and helpless, making no effort to hide it from Yugi.

"Joey, why didn't you tell me sooner? He has to stop or he might really end up hurting you, or worse…"

Yami felt Yugi crying in his soul room, and the former pharaoh wished there was some sort of solution to help Joey, but he couldn't think of one. He'd kept his suspicions to himself as he'd figured out a long time ago that Joey wasn't being honest about where his injuries were coming from. It was sad that Joey felt he had to shoulder this burden on his own. Yami hoped that maybe he could help him, even if it was just being there for Joey to talk to. Joey's was a cause Yami would eagerly champion to; that was just the kind of relationship he had with the young man standing before him, who was suffering a mind numbing pain.

"Because I didn't want to _upset_ you; why do you think I didn't tell you about this already?" Joey raised a hand to his forehead. He felt awfully warm, and thinking about this made his stomach feel even worse.

"Does your mother know?" Yugi asked.

"Like she'd care. I don't know if she knows or not, but it got a lot worse after she refused to let Serenity visit him when she was in town. Don't worry about it; I'll be fine, ok? Next year we graduate and I'll move the hell out of there. Speaking of graduating, let's get going, Yug; I don't want to be late."

Yami walked over towards Joey and lightly put a hand on his back, "Sure, Joey. If you need to talk I'm always here for you, and if it gets real bad you're always welcome to come over to my place."

Joey shrugged, "No way, it's bad enough _you_ know about it, I don't need your gramps finding out about this. I'd appreciate it if we kept this just between us. If the others figure things out so be it, but with _my_ reputation for being thickheaded, I doubt anyone else but you will care."

"Well, I do care, Joey. But I won't tell a soul, I promise." Yami rubbed Joey's back for a few moments as they resumed walking. The spirit wished he could have hugged his friend, but concern over the state of Joey's body kept him from it.

"Thanks, Yug. I'm real sorry I've been lying to you, I just didn't want you getting upset after all you been through…" Joey felt light-headed as he tried to forget about the rage in his father's eyes last night.

Yami nodded, and then he removed his hand just as a black limousine drove by. They both knew without looking who was inside it, and neither young man looked forward to the long day ahead. If they were lucky it would be another uneventful day of school where nothing interesting happened.

The rest of their journey to Domino High was traversed in silence, but it wasn't unbearable. The two young men had cleared some of the air that had gone stale between them, so they walked up the steps leading to the main building together, preparing to face another day.

-o-

It was lunchtime when Joey started to feel really sick to the point he couldn't ignore it any longer. When he didn't feel like eating, Yugi went with him to the clinic. Joey had protested at first, but after seeing the determination kindling in the violet eyes of his friend, he knew better then to argue. Plus he didn't feel up to it at the moment; fatigue rippled through his neglected form. The nurse greeted them and Joey told her how his stomach was bothering him. When she asked him to let her take his temperature, he nodded weakly, sitting down in a chair at the foot of one of the beds.

"Oh my! You have a low-grade fever, Joey. You probably should go home. Is there anyone who can come and get you?" her eyes were sympathetic towards the blonde.

"My dad's at work but I can walk home."

"You're supposed to have an adult pick you up, you know."

"I know, I guess I better just get back to class then, huh?"

The nurse shook her head, "No, how about you just stay here and rest? If you feel up to it, after lunch you can then try to go back to class."

Joey nodded and lay down on one of the two cots, closing his eyes, soon falling into a fitful sleep. The nurse looked over at Yugi and smiled. Since it was still lunchtime and Yugi had brought a lunch bag, he decided to ask the nurse if he could stay with Joey.

"Sure, I don't mind. He'll be fine though, he might just have a twenty-four hour bug or something. It sure sounds like it."

"Yeah, for Joey to turn down food is definitely a sign of something serious. Thank you for letting me stick around; I'm really worried about him," Yugi chuckled nervously as he took a seat near the cot Joey was resting on.

'_Yami, I'm really worried about Joey.'_

'_I know, Yugi; so am I. But we promised him we wouldn't tell anyone about this, so if you're thinking about talking to this nurse I'd forget about it.'_

'_No, I just wanted to talk to you about it. I've heard there are ways for kids to become legally able to make their own decisions. I think we might be able to encourage Joey and see if he can get deemed legally able to take care of himself. Do you think that would be a good idea?'_

Yami was quiet for a few moments, and then when he finally responded, Yugi got the feeling that the spirit wasn't as sure as he'd tried to sound about his answer.

'_We could try that; it wouldn't hurt. But even that won't solve his problem with his father. He needs a new place to live, and we know he'd never allow us to ask grandpa if he could stay with us.'_

'_I know, but we have to do something. He looks so sad, Yami; I know he's being ripped up on the inside that his dad treats him like this. I don't know how someone could hurt their own child like that.'_

'_It doesn't make any sense, I know Yugi, but sometimes there are things deeper and beyond our ability to understand. No one can know what is going through another person's mind. All we can do is to be there for him when he needs us.'_

'_I know. Thanks for your help earlier. I don't think I could have gone on without crying, and that would probably have made Joey clam up even more.'_

'_I understand, Yugi. It _will_ work out. We'll do whatever we can to help him.'_

Yugi agreed with Yami and then focused on his lunch. He usually enjoyed peanut butter and jelly, but today he hardly paid it any attention as he ate the sandwich. His troubled thoughts remained on his friend, and after he'd finished his lunch the first warning bell sounded. Yugi tossed his brown paper bag into the trashcan and said goodbye to the nurse. As he walked off to his science class, he couldn't get Joey off his mind. He kept thinking back to how bad his friend's face looked, and it made him wonder how many other bruises were hidden beneath those clothes.

Even though his biology book was open in front of him, Yugi had no interest in the assignment they were going over that would be due on Monday. He forced himself to take notes, thinking that he could share them with Joey so that his friend wouldn't miss out on their homework. Yugi was anxious to see how Joey was doing, so when the bell rang and class was dismissed he jumped from his seat, heading out into the hall. He practically ran back to the clinic and was shocked to see that Joey wasn't there. When he asked the nurse about it, she told him that Joey had been picked up and was probably at home by now. Stunned, Yugi went to his next class, wondering who could have taken Joey home.

-o-

"Thanks for coming to get me, Mai. I really appreciate it. But you don't have to take me home, I _can_ walk," Joey smiled, hoping he didn't come off as looking like he was sneering.

"No way, Joey, you're coming home with me. I'm glad you called me. I had finished the job I was out on anyway, so let me take care of you, ok?"

"You don't have to do that, really. I'll be fine. Just drop me off at this next corner and I can walk the rest of the way," Joey protested, hoping to persuade Mai to stop and let him out.

"Joey, I am taking you to my place and you can crash on the couch. I don't want you to have to walk in this heat. End of discussion."

"Ok, you win. I'm too tired to argue about it."

Mai laughed, "That's a good boy. We're almost there so just relax. I really want to do this, and you know me, I won't take no for an answer."

Joey laughed and agreed with her. He knew full well just how alike they were in that regard. He hadn't wanted to call her, but something had told him to. Part of him wanted to let her take care of him now, and the other part wanted to run off so she wouldn't see how weak he was. Or how weak _he_ thought he was.

Joey also hoped she didn't ask him about his face. Now that he'd talked about what was going on at home with Yugi, he was afraid of anyone else guessing at the truth.

"Ok we're here, let's go and get you some chicken soup," Mai said, as she parked her car and turned off the engine.

Joey nodded and fought nausea as he opened the car door and slowly got to his feet. Mai seemed to notice this and came over, taking his hand and putting his arm around her shoulders to steady him. They walked together to her apartment and she unlocked the door. She helped him to the couch and handed him the remote before going back to the kitchen to warm up some soup for him. He was asleep by the time she came out to see if he wanted to try to eat and he looked sicker to her.

She brought the tray with a bowl of chicken noodle soup, ginger ale and crackers, out to the coffee table. Mai put it down, thinking about getting him a nice wet washcloth for his face. She went to her bathroom and opened the linen closet, taking out a pink washcloth she then took to the sink. Turning on the cold water, Mai got it and wrung it out a bit before turning off the water.

Leaving the bathroom, she went back to the living room and gently laid the cloth on Joey's forehead. She bit her bottom lip as she took in the state of his face.

'_He looks so beat up. I am really worried who could have done this to him. I really have to wake him up, the poor thing.'_

"Joey? Wake up, I made you some soup like I promised, and I got you a glass of water (I think water would be better – more soothing) for your stomach."

Mai dabbed at his forehead with the washcloth some more and then he stirred from his slumber. His flushed appearance wasn't helped by his surprise at seeing her face so close to his. She smiled and looked over to the coffee table she'd set up for him. It felt strange having someone to care for like this, Joey Wheeler of all people for that matter. He'd proven his devotion to her during Battle City when he bravely faced Ra with her, rather then letting her suffer that fate alone. Strangely, Yugi ended up being the one to shield her, and in so doing shielding Joey from the wrath of the great Egyptian God of the Sun.

She sensed how deeply they cared for one another, and as she faced the young blonde on her couch Mai thought back to the way they'd acted during Duelist Kingdom. How he'd blushed at the bold way she approached Yugi and him. It felt like years ago compared to the darkness that still haunted her at times. That time sealed away in that dark airless realm as Marik had done to her, it had shaken her up, and though she'd faced Marik head on play for play, she still ended up getting played by the psychopathic Egyptian. That Joey had stood up for her meant more then she could ever express to him in words.

"Boy, I _have_ been sleeping a lot today. I'm sorry I'm sick, Mai. I hope you don't catch this. You didn't have to go and make me some soup. I don't know that I'm up to eating anything."

Mai let slip a hand and Joey took it, allowing the young woman to help him to sit up slowly. His body was aching all over and he still felt feverish. Joey wondered what time it was and if school was out yet. The last he could remember was lunchtime and when he'd fallen asleep in the clinic. He smiled at her as she sat down beside him, putting an arm around his shoulders. Her hand reached to his shoulder and gently squeezed, then she moved it up to his neck and rubbed the nape of his neck, his soft blonde hair fell over her white hand as he shivered. He closed his eyes and let his head fall forward, an uncharacteristic gesture of submittal for the young teen.

"Mmm, that feels so good, Mai. I sat up too late last night, and I think that might be why I came down with this stomach thing today."

Mai resisted the urge to giggle, "Don't worry, Joey, I won't catch it. I know how it feels to have a lot of tension in your neck and I want to make you feel better."

Joey slowly lifted his head, "You are, Mai, thanks. You can stop now, though. I'm awake now and that ginger ale looks pretty damned good."

He didn't know why he was here on her couch. He remembered she wouldn't let him go home and he'd been too sick to fight her about it.

Joey then reached over to the glass of ginger ale and put the straw to his lips. It was a little unsettling being this close to her,and Joey wondered why she had him here when she could have any guy she wanted. He didn't even want to think that there could be ever be a glimmer or hope that she'd feel about him the way he felt about her. But those feelings aside, he would never do anything to risk their friendship. Yet he felt compelled to reach down to her leg, right above the knee, resting his right hand on her left leg. Something about it felt right, and he left his hand there as he forced his eyes to meet hers.

"Sure thing, kiddo. If you want me to rub your shoulders later I will. I'm going to leave you here for a minute; I have to get my laptop out of my bedroom."

He felt his heart pounding as she put her own hand overtop of his, then squeezing it before she stood up to fetch her computer. Joey giggled nervously and tried to take a couple sips from the ginger ale, hoping he didn't get sick. Since he hadn't really eaten anything, it wasn't like he had anything to throw up. Leaning up, Joey put the glass down and lay back down onto the couch, groaning softly in pain. He rested his eyes, and before he knew it Mai was back, setting up her laptop so she could sit down to use it in the recliner while Joey rested on the couch.

She went and got a blanket for Joey and gently laid it over him. Looking down, she frowned, seeing he hadn't even touched the soup. He smiled up at her and she nodded, then she sat down in front of her computer. He didn't know she'd seen anything in his notebook, but she had, and this was part of her plan to draw him out and get him to open up more to her. She'd decided she would share with him that she was _RoseWhipLady_, if it felt like it was the right thing to do.

'_God, I am so dizzy! I feel so sick. My god, my stomach hurts... I wonder if I can get her to take me home or not. I really don't want anyone to know exactly where I live anyway, so maybe I should just stay here for now and get some sleep.'_

"Mai? I hope you'll kick me if I snore too loud. Please?" Joey opened one eye and tried to look over at the chair she was curled up on.

"Don't be silly, you don't snore that loud at all. Just get some rest. I'm going to just sit here and work on something I'm writing."

She peered over at his one open eye and winked. This made him risk opening his other eye and he tried to focus on her face. She looked back at her laptop and started typing away. He smiled when she looked up at him and did not stop typing, as if her mind was just chugging along on what she was writing, and it peeked his interest. He cleared his throat and leaned up to grab the glass to take a sip of ginger ale before laying back down into the softness of the couch.

"So whatcha writing then? If you don't mind telling me, that is."

She stopped and looked at him directly, "Oh this? Just a short story thing, ever heard of fanfiction?"

Joey felt the color drain out of his face as her question sunk in. He nodded and forced himself to sit up. She smiled and told him it was something she was writing for a website he had been interested in. He got a feeling that she was telling him something, and he wished his mind wasn't so foggy from fatigue so that he could focus on Mai better.

"Well, it's not like I'm trying to write a best seller or something, you know? This is just something I like to do for fun. It probably sounds boring to you, eh, Joey?"

He shook his head, "No, not at all. Just the opposite really, believe it or not. And I have a feeling you do. I've just joined that site myself. What's your penname, then?"

She gulped and held her breath before answering, "RoseWhipLady here; hello there RedEyesDuelist. Care to have a go on here yourself and add your next chapter?"

Joey blinked at the use of their pennames like that and then he nodded. For now, all that mattered was that he was here with Mai and that she was sharing with him something he was just discovering the fun of. He grinned, and though he hoped he appeared confident, he had never felt more vulnerable in his life. There was something different in the air between them tonight and he was no fool. He could see that she wanted to have him here with her, and even though he wasn't well physically, his spirit was heartened by her openness with him.

"Would you mind if I took my jacket and shoes off first? I feel awfully warm and I need to get my stuff out."

She got up and came over to his side, reaching a hand down to help him up slowly. He let his legs fall off the couch and then centered himself before letting go of her hand. She went around to the back of the sofa and he felt her hands on his back, helping him with taking off his jacket. He pulled himself out of it and then he stretched back against the couch, closing his eyes and taking a few deep breaths before he opened his eyes and leaned down to take off his shoes.

Mai had taken his jacket over to one of her four kitchen table chairs. She retrieved his backpack from beside the couch and then laid it up on the couch beside Joey. He just had on jeans and a white tee shirt with his white socks. His hair was ruffled from the way he'd been lying down on the couch cushion, but she found it endearing.

Mai went back to her chair and picked up the laptop, bringing it back to the couch with her. She then sat down on the other side of Joey, not so close that they were bunched together, but close enough so that their legs touched lightly.

"Let me just save this and close it up so you can open a new window, Joey," Mai clicked around a bit and then turned it around to face him.

"Thanks, Mai. So you really liked Jack Havoc, eh?" He looked up at her shyly, making him look even more appealing to the young blonde.

"Yes, I really did. But I have to confess, I read over your notes and I think you've got some great ideas. I've got a few stories up of my own and you have to be prepared for those trolls out there who seem to live to flame your every move. Anyway, hun, I'm going to leave you alone for awhile, ok? I'm going to go start something for dinner."

"I had no idea you read in my notebook, Mai. I'm flattered you were interested enough to do something like that, and your review was really sweet of you to share."

Mai stood up; she just had to get away and relax. Being this close to him was affecting her unusually strongly tonight. She just wanted to reach out and hold him, but she knew that it wouldn't be a good thing to do in his current state as he would be worried of making her sick, and she was worried about what he looked like under that thin cotton tee shirt. It wasn't his thin yet powerful frame that was on her mind; rather it was more about what kind of injuries lurked there, unseen yet potentially painful. She looked over to the living room as she moved out of sight. Backing up against the wall of her kitchen, she let her thoughts drift back to Joey.

'_I know he's sick, but I can't help seeing his arms around me, his lips on mine. Can we really ever be that way together? He needs time to work out whatever is going on in his life, but that won't stop me from being there for him.'_


	6. Looking Around In A Different Light

Author Note: I do not own Yugioh or any of the characters from the show. I hope you enjoy this story and I look forward to seeing what people think of it. If you like it please R&R. I don't expect this to be a long story like my other two Yugioh fics, but I think it will be a fun ride as it moves along. Just a warning this story will contain spoilers for Battle City and possibly the Noah's Virtual World saga. This fic has been beta read by Minor Arcana; a big thank you to her for all her help and advice on the story.

Dog Days Chapter Six: Looking Around In A Different Light

-o-

Yugi left school feeling really worried about Joey; no one seemed to know where he'd gone. As Yugi was walking down the sidewalk, a black limousine drove up and stopped. The window rolled down and Yugi could tell it was a summons, so he headed off to see what Seto Kaiba could want.

"Yugi, you look like you could use a ride. Why don't you get in?" Seto Kaiba gestured to his side and opened the door.

"Uh, I don't need a ride, Kaiba. Thanks, I know you're busy. Is there something I can help you with?" Yugi puffed out his chest, trying his best to be like Yami, and the spirit held back laughter he felt from this exchange.

"Sure, whatever, Yugi. I thought you cared about that dog in the first place. My mistake. I commend you Yugi; he's not even gone five hours and you've already written him off." Seto's icy tone of voice matched his fierce blue gaze.

"What do you mean? Spit it out, Kaiba, what are you trying to tell me about Joey?" Yugi put his hands on the door of the limo that Seto had just closed moments ago.

Seto looked down at Yugi's tiny hands and smirked at his rival. He looked so totally pathetic and what he could possibly see in a loser like Wheeler was beyond the CEO's ability to work out. But that wasn't what drew him into baiting Yugi into taking the offer to ride with him; no, he wanted to see what was going on in their little insignificant lives to validate his own superiority over the dueling duo that was Joey and Yugi. In a way, he was proud of how he'd faced those rare hunters with Yugi as a teammate. He was the only person of any that had ever earned his respect. And so, because of that, he had taken a casual interest in what went on in his life and the lives of his friends.

"Get in, Yugi. Let's talk," Seto shifted over, making room for the young man to join him.

'_Let's hear him out, Yugi. Maybe something we learn from Kaiba can help Joey, so try to be civil with him.'_

Yugi nodded and opened the door before scooting in next to the young businessman, who'd told his driver to go around the park and then back to the Kame Game shop. Yugi sat patiently, and after a few moments Seto leaned forward and directed his gaze at Yugi.

"So, what is going on with you? Do I detect trouble in paradise between you and Wheeler?"

Yami flushed with anger and ended up facing Kaiba, as Yugi sat back shocked with the spiteful way the brunette spoke towards him about his friend. Kaiba seemed to notice the change in Yugi's facial expression that read clearly _'I've lost my patience with you already'_ yet he felt no urge to give up the control he held over his spiky-haired nemesis.

"What is going on with him? He looked pretty beat up today, Yugi. He left so suddenly, too. I thought you'd have seen him off with that blonde from Battle City. What was her name? Mai? I'm sure it was her I saw him leave with."

"What do you mean he looked beat up, Kaiba? Did you have something to do with…"

Seto interrupted the former pharaoh before he could finish the morbid thought, "Of course not! Be reasonable! I wanted to see what is going on with him, to see if he is in danger. Is there some kind of gang thing going on that I need to know about?"

Even though his voice was cold, Seto was completely sincere. Yami sat there, stunned for a few moments, before he suddenly snapped back into reality as he shook his head.

"No, but perhaps you might have some suggestions for me, Kaiba. Since you asked me to join you, and seeing as we're talking like this, tell me something. How do you become able to take care of yourself legally? I think I know someone who needs to get recognized legally as an adult, emancipation I think it's called." Yami held Kaiba's unwavering gaze as he took in what he'd been asked.

"You mean about Joey then? You mean his father?" Kaiba muttered, and Yami nodded.

He smiled sadly as he nodded again, and then he looked out the window. Yami felt bad that he had allowed himself to bridge this conversation, almost encouraging it between himself and the young billionaire. Power and influence were things that Seto Kaiba possessed and wielded proudly, so he had no doubt that this was a private conversation, one that happened between himself and his former high priest once in a blue moon. But helping Joey was the motivating factor behind Yami's actions this afternoon.

"Well, that all depends, Yugi. There are many ways to deal with parental neglect. However, there are cases where the courts will recognize the legal need of a minor to live on their own, hold a job and even going to school under their own authority. That is what you're getting at, isn't it?"

"Yes, in a nutshell it is. What else did you want to say to me, Kaiba?" Yami resumed looking in front of himself, thinking about Mai and how she could have come to get him. It was interesting that somehow Kaiba knew Joey had left with her.

He wondered about that as he sat in silent apprehension.

"Like I said, I thought you looked like you needed a ride, Moutou. There's nothing else I need to say, except perhaps only this. That if Joey is being beat up by his father, he might have to end up facing him in court, and with that in mind I doubt your friend has what it will take to face his old man. He might just see about finding a job and getting his own place; I don't see why he couldn't, if he'd just do it."

Yami nodded, "Yes, I think someone like his dad isn't the type to try and stop him from moving out on his own. I bet he probably wouldn't even notice. I appreciate the ride by the way, Kaiba. Thank you, for that and for just coming out to me about what you saw, and also for your advice about Joey's situation. Please, Seto, keep it between us only, all right?"

Seto nodded, and the limousine came to a stop in front of Yugi's grandfather's shop. Yami knew better then to try to shake the young man's hand, so he just got out and they exchanged nods again before Kaiba was on his way and Yami was stood in front of the gameshop, wondering what direction Mai lived in. Yugi didn't know that she was even around, and Yami felt him flinching from the idea that she was back, Joey even had her phone number to call her to come and get him from school.

'_Quiet yourself, Yugi. You're too worked up and over nothing if you ask me.'_

'_Really? Well it's not nothing to me, Yami. Why didn't he tell me he was going to leave with Mai? Not only that, how could he keep it secret from me that she was around Domino? How Yami? I don't know if I can trust him anymore.' _

'_Oh I doubt that very much, Yugi. You might be hurt, thinking that Joey could be keeping something from you, but you should understand that when he's ready he'll come to you and tell you whatever he needs to. You know he will; you're his best friend, Yugi.'_

Yami let Yugi take over, and Yugi morosely went into his soul chamber to meditate. He could tell Yugi needed to be alone with his thoughts, and he hoped that his young friend would heed his words. It didn't feel right, Yugi and Joey not being open and forthright with one another.

All the spirit could do was wait and watch over them both.

-o-

Mai worked in her kitchen, getting a chicken set up to go in the oven. She'd planned on making mashed potatoes. if Joey's stomach was up to having some with her. Right now, she was comfortable just thinking about Joey, and about how that loneliness she'd felt when she was alone was gone when he was around. She could feel he had deep feelings for her and it was hard to keep her mind on mere dinner preparations. Joey made an angry grunt from the living room, and she wondered if he'd checked his email or seen the review that flamer had posted.

"Everything ok, Joey?" she called out to him.

"Yeah, I just read something, is all. Thanks for letting me use your computer, Mai. It's really cool of you."

"Think nothing of it hun, I'll be out in a little bit. Have fun with it!" Mai giggled to herself knowing she'd been right and that he'd probably read _AngelofDeath_'s latest review.

Five minutes later, when she'd put the chicken in the oven, she went to rejoin him in the living room. He had wrapped the blanket around his shoulders, with his feet pulled up under him Indian style, his back against the arm of the couch as he held the laptop on his knees, typing as he noticed her warm presence returning to sit near him. Since he wasn't interested in eating, Mai decided to do something a little bit daring.

"So, how about I sit down, and you stretch your legs out over mine and you read to me?" Mai's lavender eyes overpowered any thought Joey had of protesting.

"I can just sit up, Mai…"

Mai reached over and took her laptop off his lap then put it beside her on the couch as she sat down, cutting off his options dramatically. Joey went to stand, and she put a hand on his arm.

"I want you to stretch out. You're still sick, you know, but if you elevated your feet I bet your head would feel better."

"Are you sure about this, Mai?" Joey's complexion was already flushed, his fever working its way through his system.

She nodded and helped pull his socked feet out from under him and overtop of hers. Joey had to admit, it was pretty comfortable. His head wasn't throbbing intensely as he saved the finished draft he'd been working on, and then, in a final preview, Joey scrolled to the opening and slowly began bringing his eyes up to his female companion's. He then started reading to her.

After a few minutes, Joey started shivering, so Mai moved her hands to his feet, rubbing them firmly between her surprisingly strong fingers. Joey stopped talking as he just let his head flop back listless and moaned, yet Mai noted he'd held onto her laptop carefully so that it wouldn't fall to the floor.

"You know, that is really wonderful. To hear you reading it like that, well, it's very powerful, you know? Now maybe you should try eating something. If you feel like reading later, I can show you one I wrote."

She frowned upon seeing the huge grin crossing Joey's lips as he opened one eye and peered up at her.

"Oh you mean like "Forever Yours", my dear _RoseWhipLady_? Perhaps you should check your inbox for any new reviews, hmm?"

Mai blushed and Joey laughed, "Oh, come now! You didn't think I wouldn't go see some of what someone who left that kind of a review had written?" Joey smiled, "Give me a little credit, please. I'm just surprised you'd write such romantic things, though. You're a good writer, Mai."

Mai felt her breath catch in her throat as he revealed something personal about something she'd written. Had she been able to tell him what her best was, "Forever Yours" wouldn't have been her first choice, but it was definitely an interesting choice nonetheless. She felt her heart seize up with awakening emotions that were undeniable to her any longer. She really felt something for him, something deep and meaningful.

It was overwhelming, wanting him like this, and yet she knew without even a second thought that Joey was nowhere near ready for anything more then friendship at this current point in time. In the future? Who knew?

"Then I guess I better take a turn at the comm., eh, Red? Can I call you Red, Joey?"

"Heh, that sounds funny, but I like it. But only if I can call you RoseWhip."

The two friends laughed together, and Mai got her email loaded and blushed at the two reviews Joey had left as _RedEyesDuelist_. She was really impressed with him, and what he'd said about her story was insightful, things no one else had said. She sat and just read over all her reviews. Spending time like this was more about getting Joey to open up, and having succeeded at doing that, Mai was quite pleased with herself.

-o-

Joey was soon sleeping again, but not before getting some of his soup down. He'd begged her to bring something for him to have by the couch just in case he got sick and needed something to run with to the bathroom. She had a hunch that Yugi might be worried about Joey, so after she checked on Joey one more time she left to use the phone in her bedroom. After finding the number to Yugi's grandpa's game shop, Mai dialed the number and waited for someone to answer.

"Hello, Kame Game shop, can I help you?"

"Hi Yugi, it's Mai. Listen, hun, I wasn't sure if Joey told you I was in town or not, but I've got an apartment out here."

"Oh, hi, Mai! I wondered how you were doing. How's Joey? He was pretty sick at school."

Mai laughed, "Oh yeah! And he's plenty sick now, too. But I got a little chicken soup into him and he's resting now. I just thought I'd call to leave my number with you in case you wanted to get together or something sometime."

"Sure, Mai, thanks; I'd like that," Yugi replied, as he looked around his desk for a pen and his address book.

After he located the book and a working pen, he took down Mai's number, and because she was such an open book about herself she even gave him her address. Yugi was pleasantly surprised by the friendliness of the blonde who was taking care of Joey, and he smiled, thinking to himself that Joey was in good hands with her as he hung up.

'_See, Yugi? I told you there wasn't anything going on and that Joey would have told you about Mai if he hadn't been feeling so sick today.'_

Yugi shrugged and took off to the bathroom to get ready for bed. Having done his homework, and knowing that odds were Joey wouldn't be in tomorrow, at least he could go visit him tomorrow after school, if Mai didn't mind. He was pretty sure she wouldn't mind, either. She had been rather distant after waking up after Yami and Yugi defeated Marik, but at least he knew where he stood with the young woman and that she counted him amongst her few friends.

-o-

Alone in his bedroom, Seto sat at his desk, his computer in front of him as he read over what Joey had posted on his story. As the young brunette read over what the annoying blonde had written, he couldn't help but to read through the text with a different perspective. Looking back at the sickly appearance of the young duelist earlier at school, he could see now that the bruises he'd seen on Joey's face were from the hands of an out-of-control drunk. Only someone out of their mind could punch their own flesh and blood so viciously. At first, he'd been willing to believe it was gang-related, since it seemed to him that Joey's very nature seemed to thrive when he was challenging people.

'_But today, when I saw Yugi with his hand on his shoulder like that, I had the idea it was just Yugi trying to give his pathetic friend a pep talk or something. I can't flame what he's posted, not after what I've come to realize about him. There are some things about him that remind me of myself, dark things that I hope no one ever sees. The damage from Gozaburo will never totally heal, and yet I didn't let him break my spirit.'_

As Seto read the final sentence of chapter three, he wished he could leave a sincere review, but his own nature wouldn't allow it. He continued thinking about it, wondering if what he'd told Yugi would prove to be useful to Joey Wheeler, whose spirit as far as he could tell was anything but broken. That was another thing about Joey that Seto identified with. He, like Joey, never backed down, nor did he run away when things got tough. Seto had felt by standing up to Ra, not once but twice, that Joey had earned some of his respect, even if he never acknowledged it to Joey or anyone else.

"So, maybe I do understand after all what could make you turn to writing. No matter, though. I will see if I can slide by without antagonizing you for the moment, Wheeler. Even I can tell that you deserve some slack after what you've been through."

He decided to shut down his computer without doing anything else. It was getting late and he had school in the morning. As Seto turned off the monitor and got into bed, he looked up at the ceiling. Not meaning to, he was taken back to how hard things had been when Gozaburo was alive and totally dominating him. He had destroyed the blasted collar that he'd insisted he wear, and he'd even used a horse crop on the young child to _motivate_ him to work his hardest. Of course, it had been both humiliating and degrading to have to endure such treatment. What would have made it absolutely unbearable would have been if his little brother had ever seen him like that.

Taking a deep breath, Seto turned onto his side and slid his hand under his pillow, pulling the soft comforter over his shoulder. He let the pain come just below the surface of his psyche, but he never let go of control over it for even a second. It was one thing to look back at that abuse, but it was quite another to try to keep emotional distance from those dark remembrances that at times threatened to overcome him if he gave in to it. But Seto Kaiba had fought back, and he always would fight back. He'd win and come out on top, regardless of the circumstances.

-o-

Joey awoke with a cramp in his calf that made him jerk in agony. Jumping up off the couch, he tried to stand and force his weight onto the pained foot. Mai had told him that she didn't have to work Friday, so she would gladly have him stay over out of school to get some rest. It was nice being here with her, but Joey didn't have any illusions; he would be back home by Saturday and out of Mai's hair. He figured that she'd be sick of having him around by then.

Wincing, Joey made his foot go flat against the floor, stretching out his sore calf muscle.

He could see that the light under Mai's door was out, so he tip toed to the bathroom, slowly closing the door almost all the way until he turned the light on. He winced at the brightness of the light, and when his eyes came into focus he gasped at how terrible he looked. The one thing he was thankful for was that his eyes weren't black and blue. The bruising on his face was one thing; it was ugly, sure, and it hurt. But it always upset him so much more whenever his father either purposely or accidentally hit him near his eyes.

'_What do you see in me, Mai?'_ He came up with some ideas, and remembering how she'd touched him tonight left his knees weak.

Joey leaned onto the edge of the sink and looked down at his feet. He was still in shock; Mai had rubbed not only his neck and shoulders, but also his feet. It wasn't a surprise to him that she'd shown him how attracted to him she was. However, he had been surprised to find out she was _RoseWhipLady_.

Leaving the bathroom, Joey turned off the light and lightly made his way through the dark apartment. He stopped a foot from her door; something drew him to peek in through the tiny crack to return the favor.

'_Man, she looks so pretty, even asleep like this. I'm gonna turn around now and walk away like a good boy.'_

Mai stirred in her sleep and Joey froze. He thought he heard her whining softly and he couldn't leave her. Protective instincts kicked in and he stood waiting, to see if she'd become more agitated and force him to intervene or if she'd slip back into a comfortable sleep. He barely breathed as he stood there, and after the third round of fifteen seconds of her cries, Joey decided to go ahead and venture into her bedroom. She just sounded so scared. He knew what that felt like, and it killed him to think that she still felt that way in her dreams.

'_No damn way am I walking away from you, Mai. Not after almost losing you for good.'_

Joey pushed open the door and quickly took action; he came to stand over her, reaching down to her face he called out to her and sat down on her bed slowly so as not to startle her. He reached out to her hand, and then he felt her stiffen as she woke up crying. He feared for a moment that he'd been wrong to have come in like this, but when she threw her arms around his neck, sobbing, he knew that she needed someone to hold her and tell her that things would be all right. He remembered when he'd done that before, and how Yugi had had to jump in to help him keep that promise, but Mai had been all right.

"It's ok, Mai. I'm right here with you. You're not alone anymore," he said softly.

'_I wonder if she didn't leave the door opened like that just in case she heard _me_ having a nightmare. I'm just glad I was awake to come comfort her like this. The poor thing is shaking like a leaf.'_

"Stay here with me, Joey. Don't go back out there, I don't want to be alone!"

Mai looked up and wiped her eyes, as she pleaded with him in the dim light. He nodded, and she lifted the covers to accommodate him in her queen-sized bed. Whether it was just instinct again, or just silent communication between them, Joey pulled her close, letting her head rest on his arm. Mai curled up against his side, calming down a little bit now that she was sure she wasn't dreaming.

"Shhh, just go back to sleep now. I'm right here, and I won't let anything happen to you, Mai." Almost before he could stop himself, Joey leaned down and kissed the top of Mai's head, like he had when he'd been close to his sister.

'_I can't believe I just did that! What an idiot! I bet she kicks me out of her bed in the next thirty seconds!'_ he chastised himself, harshly.

But Mai did no such thing. In fact she sighed, seeming to relax even more against him. His heart was racing, and he hoped she couldn't hear it beating from being this close to her.

Joey shut his eyes and let his thoughts drift. Soon, he was dreaming pleasantly, thinking about what being with Mai made him feel like. He imagined being at the park with her and talking. Then he imagined what it would have been like to actually kiss her earlier in the living room, but that was as far as he let his train of thought carry him. For her having his presence in her bed kept the bad dreams away and kept the loneliness at bay.


	7. The Morning After Everything Changed

Author Note: I do not own Yugioh or any of the characters from the show. I hope you enjoy this story and I look forward to seeing what people think of it. If you like it please R&R. I don't expect this to be a long story like my other two Yugioh fics, but I think it will be a fun ride as it moves along. Just a warning this story will contain spoilers for Battle City and possibly the Noah's Virtual World saga. This fic has been beta read by Minor Arcana; a big thank you to her for all her help and advice on the story.

Dog Days Chapter Seven: The Morning After Everything Changed

-o-

Mai opened her eyes and looked at Joey. He was still asleep and she remembered how he'd stayed with her. How he'd been up and heard her having that damned nightmare she didn't know, but she had been relieved he'd come in as he had and woken her up to chase away that accursed nightmare she'd had. Here was her knight in shining armor if ever she could say she had one; it was, without a doubt, Joey. It felt funny being in a soft nightgown, with Joey still in his jeans and tee shirt. But then, just the feeling of not being alone in her bed was unusual to her. It was on her mind; why he had been hurt like he was when at seventeen his life should be so much happier.

His rhythmic deep breathing was soothing, but she knew it would come to an end soon enough. She sighed as she turned to face the clock. It was just past seven, so she turned over so her back was against his, losing herself in thought. There were critical years between them age wise, and though she wouldn't hesitate to ask him to stay with her more permanently, she knew he would never agree to such an arrangement. It was nice to think that she had this chance to be so close to him, and she smiled from ear to ear as he turned over onto his stomach, moaning softly as he did so.

'_Oh my god, he is _so_ cute! If only he were a couple of years older, I'd be with him in a heartbeat; if he'd have me, that is.'_

Fighting the giddy feelings of a schoolgirl crush, Mai chuckled to herself as she felt one of his hands move up her back, over the covers and around her waist. He seemed to have moved to curl up behind her. She could feel his breath on her shoulder, sending chills up her spine as their bodies touched. Closing her eyes, she tried to burn this precious moment in time in her mind forever, to permanently etch the pleasure of just waking up and being held close in his arms like this. A few minutes passed and she heard him yawning behind her, and then she felt him wake up, his hand stretching out and then resting on her hip.

"Oh boy. I'm sorry, Mai; I meant to get up after you'd fallen asleep," Joey said, sounding like he was still half-asleep.

"Good morning, Joey. I'm glad you stayed. It was nice to wake up next to you like this, but I'm sorry if I woke you up."

Joey slowly rolled onto his back and yawned again, covering his mouth with a hand, "I was up with a cramp in my leg, believe it or not. I was walking it off when I happened to hear you in here. I'm sorry if I shouldn't have come in like I did. I was just worried, and you sounded so alone I couldn't walk away from you like that."

"I'm glad you came in, Joey. Just like I'm glad you're still here. If you think that you're up to eating, I'll go make you something to eat, if you'd like," Mai sat up, her hair falling down her back as she rose from the bed.

Joey turned towards her, and then looked away quickly. He had no idea how revealing the shiny purple nightgown had really been, so as he glimpsed her skin beneath spaghetti straps he immediately averted his eyes out of respect for her, yet he felt a rush of emotion at the sight of her. Closing his eyes, he thought back to how it had felt with his arm around her, waking up pressed against her. Joey felt the pains of longing, thinking about the way he had curled up with her. He gave her a few seconds more before he opened one eye, just as she finished tying up the front of a lavender bathrobe.

"That would be great, but I can help you with it." Joey moved to sit up and she whipped around, eyes flashing as she held up a hand.

"No, Joey, you just sit this one out, ok? I'll come wake you when I'm done out there so don't worry about it. You're staying home sick, remember?" she cocked her head to the side and put a hand on her hip, posing as she waited for his reaction.

He nodded and then closed his eyes, snuggling up on his side, feeling the warmth from where she'd been next to him, as if totally giving in to the urge to sleep. She hesitated, watching his face relax as she shut the door almost all the way. She planned on making omelets for them with wheat toast and orange juice. It was hard to keep from skipping along her apartment, she felt so light and free.

Going over to the kitchen table, Mai turned on the CD player. Listening to the melodic love tunes of one of her favorite bands, she dropped the robe, leaving it over a chair, and then she pranced around dancing as she moved between the sink, refrigerator, stove and the toaster.

It didn't take long before she was singing along with the music. She could _feel_ the music moving along with her entire body as she moved about. It had been a long while since her heart had been light enough that she'd been moved to dance like this. It was something that she enjoyed doing, that, unlike little Tea, she would never dream of dancing in front of people like the teenaged brunette friend she was convinced was in love with Yugi. Not letting herself think about it, she just spun around her kitchen, singing with all the sincerity she possessed, wishing that Joey was dancing with her.

Unnoticed by Mai, Joey had come to stand at the doorway and had watching her for a long time, with a smile on his face that would have stopped the blonde's performance instantly, had she been able to see it. Once she had the table set, Joey quickly retreated to the bed, faking sleep. His heart was racing from the idea of being found out, and the fear of what she'd think if she knew he'd been watching her dancing like that.

'_If I felt free like that I guess I'd dance too. I hope she feels like that because of me being here, I know that I can't deny I could so easily fall in love with her. But only being seventeen I can't offer her squat. Now, if I was on my own and had my own place, I could come over like this and maybe not sleep the entire night away.'_

She opened the door and he tried to stifle laughter. He turned towards her, lazily opening an eye when she told him breakfast was ready.

"Mmm, ok. Thank you, Mai. Do you have a comb I could use?"

He stretched his arms up above his head and yawned, hoping she hadn't detected any deception on his behalf. Looking at her, he could see she didn't suspect a thing, so he got up to follow her back out to the kitchen. He still felt shaky, but mostly he felt better then he'd felt yesterday. During the night, when his fever had broken, he remembered Mai holding him close, running her hand through his hair. If what they _could_ have were real, it would _still_ be there once Joey had taken control over his life, and that would be when he would make his move. If it were meant to be, it would be.

"Sure, it's in the bathroom; let me get it for you, unless you'd rather use a brush. I have both, so whatever you'd be more comfortable with is fine with me."

She headed to the bathroom and had the light on, despite the sunlight shining through the lines of the blinds. He stood at the doorway and she moved closer to the counter, making room for him to join her, so Joey passed behind her, briefly catching the scent of her hair as he stood behind her. He reached down to the brush and ran it through his hair, fluffing it up a few times, then he pulled the strands of his own short blonde hair from it before laying it back down on the counter. He dropped the hair over the garbage can and then smiled as she picked the brush up and bent to the side to start brushing her long hair.

"You sure look pretty in the light like that Mai, your hair looks like spun gold. I hope you take it for granted that I think you're absolutely beautiful and the smartest girl I know." Joey leaned against the counter as Mai blushed at his compliment.

"Why thank you, Joey. I hope you can take it for granted that I think you're something special, someone worth waiting for, and someone I'd open my door to any day or night. Last night meant a lot to me, what we talked about, and I know you're going through some heavy shit right now. But the bottom line is that I don't do the whole damsel in distress thing well, and yet you stood up against Gods knows what to try and save me, even when I'd given up on myself. I won't ever forget that."

Joey nodded and reached over to her shoulders as she turned to face him. She opened her arms to him, and slowly the two embraced. The morning sunlight continued streaming in between the blinds on the bathroom window, leaves dancing around on trees outside. Because they were friends exploring such unfamiliar ground emotionally, she reached up his back, resting her cheek on his shoulder as his arms reached around her, holding her close. Having just bared their souls, being close like this was exhilarating for them both, he knew all he had to do was turn and face her, then they would easily end up kissing.

'_I really love you Mai. I wish I could be with you like I would like to be with you, but with the age difference I don't want to pressure you or go too fast. I'll free myself and be dancing there with you in no time, once I have something to give you beyond just my love.'_

"You're worth waiting for too, and I'd _never_ think twice about opening my door to you, day or night. What do you say we go sit down? I'm kind of dizzy, but I really appreciate you taking care of me like you did. I did a lot of thinking as I woke up yesterday, and last night."

Joey laughed and Mai pulled away. He could see she was blushing like he was. She nodded and reached to hold his hand as they left the bathroom together. He followed along behind her and then sat down at the place she'd set for him. He didn't really feel up to eating much, and really felt more like talking. Somehow, sharing their stories, and talking as they had, had affected the teen deeply, putting his life into an almost crystalline focus. It was a clarity he didn't want to go to waste, so he waited until she was sitting down before he took a big sip from the orange juice.

"You know, Mai, I'm sorry, but the other night I lied about something. I lied because I was ashamed of it, but it's not something I should feel this way about because it's not my fault."

Mai reached over to hold Joey's hand and knew what was coming. He was going to tell her about his father and it was almost too much for her to bear. She reached over to touch his face and cupped his swollen cheek.

"I know, Joey, and it's ok. You don't have to apologize; you cried out in your sleep too. I don't know if you remember, when you were shivering and your fever broke? You were in the same position I was when you heard me last night. I know you couldn't just live here with me, Joey, but if you could, I'd be really happy to be together with you. You have to get your own place as soon as possible; you have to get away from him."

Joey nodded and felt his face flush, but he pulled her hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it and just held it between his hands. He looked deeply into her eyes and forced himself to stay frozen where he was. Since what they were talking about was indeed something big, he wanted to make sure nothing happened to confuse either of them as they tried to make sense of their feelings, testing the depths of their growing bond. He knew there was no mistaking the difference in how he was acting with her, and he made no mistake in interpreting how differently she was acting towards him.

"I will get my own place, Mai. When I do, I'll be able to have you over." Joey laughed and released Mai's hand.

"I'll help you however I can, Joey. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. I stayed because of my feelings for you. I know you feel the same but the time is just not right, I know you feel that too."

Nodding, Joey met her eyes again, feeling really comfortable to be talking like this with her. He felt her eyes on his. If this was just how talking about your innermost thoughts with someone you'd die for, the teen didn't have to think hard to imagine what taking things further would be like. Knowing that some things had changed between them as they had, he was determined to cherish his relationship with her, just like he cherished her.

"I do. I know you don't look at me as just some teenage fan boy, you see the man I strive to be, don't you _RoseWhip_? I'm not the kind of guy who takes a promise lightly and if you were to wait for me, I'd want to make sure it was worth the wait, for us both."

"Yes, _Red_, I will wait for you, and it _will_ be worth the wait. I don't think that we can just go back to being straight friends, though, Joey. I can't stand the idea of you being hurt or lonely. You take away that heavy feeling I've had that I will end up alone with no one to love me or be with me. When we're together, I'm afraid I can't just live as a friend to you anymore. I get the distinct feeling, though, that you don't think we could just be only friends after last night." Mai smiled, and saw he was smiling at her.

"I don't want to rush into anything. Like I said, I want things to be special, like last night was special. After you opened up to me, I couldn't just deny what my heart was telling me anymore; that I love you, Mai. Something is different now. I can't just wait for time to pass, letting things stay as they are; my father won't rest until he tears me down to nothing. But I won't let him win. You know, when he does this crap, it shows me just how I don't want to be. I could never hurt someone I love the way he hurts me, and now that I realize I have to step up and get away from him I feel more at ease," Joey looked down and sighed.

"When he hurts you it hurts me too, Joey. I don't want to see you hurting and alone, not when you don't have to be. Can't you just accept that I want you to stay here if he does something like this again? Don't just go to the park, watching passively as life moves along around you feeling helpless. Get out there and move on, you know?"

He nodded, "You know, there's one thing I really adore about you that I don't think others can truly appreciate."

"What?" Mai replied coolly, still tingling from him telling her that he loved her.

"That flair for life you have. You are more then just another pretty face; the whole package is just incredible. How you didn't just sit by watching; you picked up my notebook and read my story. You opened your place to me, and last night you opened your heart to me as well. Instead of being with that rich movie star guy, you're here with me. I know it's because you see that same flair for life you have in me also."

Mai nodded, "Yes, I sure do see that in you. That and much more; more then you give yourself credit for, I might add. Yes, I did pick up your notebook and I did leave my numbers for you. I even called Yugi last night to let him know you were all right because I knew he was worried. There is something about you that makes you different from any other guy I've met. You have more integrity then anyone I've ever known, but more then that, you possess a fire inside that refuses to accept defeat. I don't want to see that destroyed by abuse, Joey."

He reached over and held her hand, "I won't let him. No worries there. You know, before whenever he went off on me, I would think about Yugi and being anywhere but there with my dad. I think I'll only have to think about you and he won't be able to touch me. The only way for something to move on between us now is for me to get on my own two feet."

Squeezing her hand, he raised his eyes to the CD player and a big smile came to his face.

"You are the girl of my dreams, Mai, and I want to be the one in your dreams, keeping away those demons that try to scare you late at night. Last night was special. Waking up next to you was almost magical. I think we can still be close even if I am home or soon out in my own place. But I know you must be able to feel how I am holding back, I am out of respect for you. Just as talking brought us closer last night, anything else would be harder to walk away from, you know?"

"I know. But having read my story, Red, you have an advantage over me that I don't have over you yet." Mai winked and picked up her glass of orange juice.

"Oh, and what would that be? That I know you like to cuddle and be swept off your feet from the way your characters interacted? I would never use that knowledge against you, though. But I could see myself using it to get to you in ways you probably can't _imagine_. Or at least not by chapter ten, which is as far as I got on your story so far."

She coughed and laughed, "Damn, yer good! Maybe you could write me something special sometime. I know I write things I don't put up on that site. You are a big inspiration to me and you don't have to worry about me, I understand completely why you're holding back in some ways."

Joey coughed and then laughed nervously, "Yeah, I'm sorry I'm so sick. I feel better this morning, though. Don't let me hold you back from digging into that omelet, Mai. Would you mind if I went and lay down on the couch? My stomach is jittery and I don't think I can eat anything just yet."

"I'm sorry you're sick, but if you need to lay down go right ahead. If you need anything, just let me know." Mai picked up her fork and used it to cut into her eggs.

He nodded and stood. She watched him go to the couch, wheels already spinning in the young woman's mind. She ate in silence and thought about getting another cell phone to give to Joey before she let him leave, so that he could call her for help if he ever got in trouble. Hopefully, Yugi would stop by later. Joey needed to see him, she had seen the flash of pain at the mention of his name and somehow she just knew that he'd been lying to him about all of this.

Now, though, something had awakened in him, something that was unbreakable, pure and strong like love itself. She had no doubt he would get out on his own, and that the time would come when they would get to see if they could make each other happy. With her standing behind him, the teen had more then just luck on his side, and the strength of his friendships with the others there would be nothing to get in his way of making his own decisions and living his own life.

-o-

It was lunchtime when the gang, minus one blonde teen, sat at their regular table. Everyone was pretty quiet this morning, and Yugi knew it was obvious that there was something serious going on in Joey's life at home that had to change. Tristan, Tea and Duke looked around the lunchroom, but without Joey there, it felt empty. Yugi sighed and picked up his milk, sipping from it for a few moments before putting it down, trying to think of what to say to break the ice.

"Do you guys think Joey is ok? I mean, he looked real bad yesterday. I don't think things are ok with him at home," Duke asked, concern evident on his face and in his voice.

"I don't know, but you're right; I'm worried too. Yugi, if something was wrong he'd tell us, wouldn't he?" Tea turned to her friend.

"Yeah, he'd tell us. But Duke is right. Something is going on, the question is what can any of us do to help him?" Yugi clenched his hand, still feeling a lot of anger that Joey had kept the abuse at home hidden from them all.

"I don't know, Yugi. I don't think any of us can really help. But then again, there might be a few things I can do for him," Duke leaned his chin onto his palm, thinking about the young man he'd forced to wear a dog suit as a ploy to bait Yugi into dueling him.

'_Joey needs to get out of there and I could help him. He could come live with me, be my roommate and even work at my store if he wants to. I think someone said he was with Mai. I think I still have her number here somewhere.'_

"I'm going to go to the bathroom, guys, I'll be back in a bit. Can I leave my books here?" Duke winked at Yugi, who nodded at Duke, who strolled off, reaching into his pocket for his cell phone.

Once outside, he dialed Mai's number and waited while he walked around outside to get more privacy. On the second ring, she answered cheerfully.

"Hi, Mai. It's Duke. How are you doing?"

"Duke, hi! It's nice to hear from you. Joey is sleeping on the couch. Did you want to talk to him?"

"Yeah, but it can wait. How is he doing?" Duke asked, looking around the area to make sure no one could pick up on his conversation.

"He's pretty bad off, to be honest with you. I don't know how he could put up with - well never mind. Maybe you and Yugi could come by after school if you'd like to see him."

"I'd like that Mai, thanks. Listen, let me leave my cell number with you ok? I'm glad he's with you and getting some rest, he looked so bad yesterday," Duke let the thought hang as he mentally went over his apartment, the thought of moving Joey in weighing heavily on his mind.

"It's ok. I have a feeling things are going to turn around for him real soon."

"I do too, real soon. Hey, I have to go but do you have something to write my number down on?" Duke asked, grateful again that he was close enough to this group of friends who he felt lucky enough to be counted among.

"Sure, what is it?" Mai asked, wedging the phone between her shoulder and ear while she wrote down Duke's number in her address book. She said goodbye and soon Duke was on his way back to the lunchroom. He had seen Joey grow so much over the Battle City Finals, and it was because he felt genuine admiration for the young duelist that he wanted to be the one to help get him out of the danger he was skirting every time he opened his front door.

'_If I didn't know better, I'd think something is going on between them, but it must just be my overactive imagination. I don't care what I have to do; I am _not_ going to let him say no to me, and I _will_ help him stay in school, and he _can_ start living away from all that shit at home. Whatever it is, I am going to help you through it, Joey Wheeler. I'm not the only one who cares either.'_

As the raven haired Duke Devlin rejoined his friends at the table, he was confident that he could help Joey turn his life around, if only he could get him to let him help him. The mood had lightened in the group and Duke sat down, smiling. He'd drive Yugi over to Mai's and they'd sit down and talk. If he could he'd try to take Joey aside to make his offer to him, all he could do was put it out there for him to think about and hopefully accept.


	8. Rolling The Dice

Author Note: I do not own Yugioh or any of the characters from the show. I hope you enjoy this story and I look forward to seeing what people think of it. If you like it please R&R. I don't expect this to be a long story like my other two Yugioh fics, but I think it will be a fun ride as it moves along. Just a warning this story will contain spoilers for Battle City and possibly the Noah's Virtual World saga. This fic has been beta read by Minor Arcana; a big thank you to her for all her help and advice on the story.

And a big thank you to all those who've reviewed the story, I am glad you're enjoying it and it's encouraging to get so much positive feedback. I will try to get at least two updates in a week, but I might only get one in this coming week, so don't think I've stopped working on Dog Days if I only get one more update in by week's end. Thank you so much for your support with this story, it means a lot to know my writing pleases you. Looking forward to reading your thoughts on Chapter Eight!

Dog Days Chapter Eight: Rolling The Dice

-o-

Mai left a note for Joey, telling him she had gone out to the store and for him to stay put. She wanted to pick up some soda and chips for Duke and Yugi, who would be coming by. Having left it for him on the coffee table, she slipped out of her apartment and went to pick up another cell phone to set up for Joey, as well as stopping by the store to get some chips and a couple of twelve packs of soda. It was just after two when Mai went to the mall first to get the phone. Then she made her way to the grocery store, humming quietly, thinking about the changes in Joey and in herself.

'_I'm sure he's sleeping still, but hopefully he'll feel well enough to visit with Duke and Yugi when they get over. I think I can persuade him to stay again tonight, unless Yugi had plans with him that he wants to stick to.'_

She had the air conditioner on high in her car. It was so humid outside that it reminded her of what it had been like for her that last year at home in high school. Unlike Joey, she'd had the most boring and uninteresting home life. Her parents always had better things to do then spend time with her, so she'd gotten into reading at an early age. Music had grown to be an important part of her life as well; she'd even written some poetry over the years. Being an only child was lonely, and one thing that she could see affected Joey was having a sister.

Serenity had grown on Mai even before she'd woken up and found out just how upset Joey was over her safety. His sister's frantic accounting of how he'd stood up to Marik and that he had been technically one word away from defeating him and claiming the Egyptian God Ra for his own was heart wrenching. It hurt that she hadn't been able to see him then, but she'd been thrust into a darkness that had gnawed away at her sanity, torturing her, mocking her loneliness and fear. Because Serenity had stayed by her side, Mai felt closer to the young girl then she could say she felt about anyone, other then Joey himself.

When she got back to her place it was just a little before three and she quickly entered her apartment. She listened to see if Joey would call out to her, or if his silence meant he might be sleeping. After a few moments of continued silence, she went to the kitchen and put down the grocery bags. She took the two twelve packs to the refrigerator to start getting them cold, then she looked out to the living room and saw he wasn't there. Putting her purse down, she headed to her bedroom, and, sure enough, Joey was sleeping on the bed, facing away from her.

She went over to put her hand on his forehead and frowned when she saw he was shivering. Standing up, she took off her vest and stepped out of her heels, and then she crawled up the bed behind him, over the top of the covers. He moaned and she felt him stirring, pulling her around him like a blanket he couldn't get enough of. His fingers entwining in hers, pulling her hands down around his chest. When he relaxed and his hand let go of hers she reached up to run her hand through his hair at his temple. He was still shivering when he turned around to face her.

"God, I hate feeling like this! I'm real sorry to be in yer bed again, but my head was spinning and I woke up missing you. So I came here to be close to you. What time is it?"

Mai laughed, "You mean you can't read that clock that says three fifteen?"

Joey opened his eyes and blinked, trying to focus on the clock. "I didn't have a jacket with me, did I? I'm really cold. I hope this passes before the guys get here. I don't want them to see me looking so helpless."

"Oh come on, Joey! They just want to see you to make sure you're ok. Listen, I'm going to get up and get a sweatshirt on and some extra thick socks, and then I am going to dress you up and rub your feet or whatever it takes to get you warmed up." Mai rolled over and stood away from the bed, swiftly heading to a dresser. Opening the second drawer, she pulled out a blue sweatshirt, and then she moved to the top one. Pulling out a pair of socks she closed it.

"Here, let me get these socks over your feet and you can try to pull this over your head." Mai gently lay the sweatshirt on his chest, and then she reached down to lift the blanket from his feet. She pulled one overtop of the pair he already had on.

"I can get that…"

"Joey, let me take care of you; please? Just relax. Duke and Yugi should be here anytime." She then pulled the second sock on before pulling the comforter back over his feet.

Joey hadn't even tried to pull the sweatshirt on, and so she sat down on the edge of the bed to start helping him get it on.

"Sit up a little bit, Joey, and I can try to pull this on over your head so you can slip your arms in." Joey did as she asked and Mai drew the sweatshirt over his head.

"I think I'm ready to move to the couch again. If you have any more ginger ale I'd really like one."

Joey slowly sat up and then pulled his arms through the sleeves, after which he wrapped his arms around himself, shivering.

"Sure, Joey. Come on, let me help you out there and then I'll get you set up with a nice cold ginger ale." Mai helped the young man to his feet and then headed out to the couch.

He crumbled in a heap on the purple velvet material, pulling the blanket that was there around his shoulders so he was cocooned. She left him there, expecting Duke and Yugi to arrive any moment. She took out a few cans of soda and stuck them in the freezer to chill them. Next, she took out a can of ginger ale and headed out to the living room to give it to Joey. He smiled weakly and looked like he'd stopped shivering so she nodded, handing him the open can.

"Thanks, Mai. I think I need some Tylenol or something for this fever. I don't feel so good."

"You look kind of pale. Don't worry, I'll be right back with something for the fever." Mai was on her way back to the living room when there was a loud knock on the door.

"Just a minute!" Mai went to the door, and, looking through the peephole, she saw it was indeed the two she had been expecting.

"Hi guys, come on in. Can I get you something to drink?" she greeted the two young men warmly and led them back through the kitchen, stopping to take out a bag of chips, and to get each of them a cold soda from the freezer. Then she led them to the living room and Joey sat up to greet Duke and Yugi. They both waved to him and he smiled. They came in and sat down; Yugi near Joey on the couch and Duke on the chair.

"Boy, Joey! You like hell, if you pardon me for saying. I hope you don't mind we came over to check up on you." Duke crossed his legs and put the can down on a coaster by a side table near the chair.

"Well, I feel like hell, but so what? Did I miss anything important at school?"

They shook their heads and Yugi spoke up next, "No. In fact it was boring without you there. You're hardly ever absent, so believe me when I say we all missed you, Joey."

"Yeah, well, I should be fine by Monday. But I don't know about staying at your place tonight, Yug. I still feel pretty crappy and I don't want to get you sick."

Yugi smiled, "It's ok, Joey. I'm just glad to see you and all."

Duke could feel a lot of tension in the air, and even though everyone knew what was going on, only Duke knew how he could help Joey to solve his problems. He wondered if he should just come out with it in front of Mai and Yugi, or if he should ask to talk to Joey alone. He pondered this silently as Joey downed two pills Mai had given him to help with his fever.

'_I probably should try to get him alone somehow.' _Duke couldn't think of a decent reason so he just came out with it after a few minutes passed with no one saying anything.

"Hey Joey? Can I talk to you alone for a minute?" Duke smiled and Mai gestured to her bedroom, and he was sure he'd seen Joey blushing when their eyes met.

"Yeah, sure, Duke. In here." Joey stood up, and then, leaving the blanket on the couch, he headed to the bedroom, making a guilty face when he saw that the covers were all messed up.

He closed the door behind him almost all the way and then he turned to Duke, "So what's up Duke? Something going on you need to talk to me about?"

"Yeah, well, there is, Joey. I know this is going to probably sound off the wall, but I need to find a roommate. Nelson, the guy I had been rooming with, moved out, and my place just feels too big for one person. I was thinking that if you would be interested I could help get you moved in, plus you could even work part time at the Game Shop. So what do you say? Care to move into my bachelor pad and pal around with me over the summer?" Duke smiled, hoping that his sincerity came through his tone of voice, because he really didn't want to bring up the obvious, and he had a feeling Joey wouldn't want to talk about it anyway.

"What? You want me to move in with you, Duke? You gotta be kidding me right? You know I'm seventeen and all… hey, you're serious, aren't you, man?" Joey's jaw dropped in shock.

"Of course I'm serious! Did you think I would come into Mai's bedroom to talk to you about something I was just joking about? But seriously, what do you say? At least tell me you'll think about it, huh?" Duke gave Joey the thumbs up and then looked across at the door.

"Ok, I'll think about it, Duke. Thanks for asking. I have been thinking about getting out of my place for awhile now, so if you're really sincere about that I just might take you up on it." Joey grinned, returning Duke the thumbs up before he opened the door and winked at his friend over his shoulder.

"So what did we miss?" Joey smirked at Yugi, who rolled his eyes and looked at Mai, who laughed.

-o-

By the time Yugi and Duke left, Joey was feeling like he could sleep some more, Duke saying that he was having Yugi stay over at his place with him and that he hoped to hear from Joey soon. Joey told him to count on it and then they left. It hadn't even been forty minutes that they had stayed but Joey was worn out. He thought about telling Mai about Duke's offer. It just seemed to be awfully convenient that he would just be _inspired_ to ask him to be his new room mate; not that he'd accuse Yugi of breaking his word to him that he wouldn't tell anyone. But he did wonder if he had actually told Duke, or if Duke had just come to his own conclusions and made that offer to him as a token of friendship.

"So what did Duke want to talk to you about, Joey?" Mai came to sit down beside him, resting a hand on his shoulder as she moved next to him.

"You're going to think this sounds crazy, but he asked me to be his new room mate. I think Yugi must have been up to something."

"Why do you say that? He looked as lost as I did if you ask me, hun. I think that was all Duke's doing. He called earlier from school to see how you were doing, and I'd say that he looked really worried about you. So what do you think? Are you going to move in with him?"

Joey leaned back against the couch and thought about it. There would be nothing to stop him from doing it, and all he really needed was his clothes, plus Duke had wheels so he'd always have a way to get to school. As he thought about it, Yugi had looked confused when they'd left, but he was sure they were talking about things. Joey looked over to Mai.

"Do you think I should?"

Mai nodded and leaned down to curl up around his side, coiling her hand around his waist, resting her head on his chest. He sighed and reached his arm around her shoulders. Maybe it would be the right thing to do. He was too tired to decide about that yet, so he just enjoyed the feeling of resting with Mai on the couch.

"Are you getting hungry yet? I could make you a grilled cheese or something, if you think you could try eating it. I feel like I'm shoving food in front of you all of the time; if you want I can just stop, and when you want something would you please just tell me?" Mai leaned back so that she could gaze up at Joey.

"I'd love a grilled cheese! Are you sure you don't mind me staying over again, though? I could go home…"

"Joey, don't even say that! You're staying here. I've got something for you, though. Let's get up and go to the kitchen. I want to show you something." Mai stood and helped Joey up.

They went into the kitchen and she went to her purse, pulling it open to take out the cell phone she'd had activated for him. She turned to face him, and with her free hand she reached to his and put the phone into it with the other, supportively keeping her hands wrapped around his.

"I got this for you when I was out earlier. I don't want to hear anything but yes, so please just accept this from me. That way, if you need help, you can always call me or Duke or someone, and so I won't worry about you as much, ok?" Mai stayed there as he met her eyes.

He reached a hand over to her chin and leaned down, kissing her forehead softly, whispering a reply of gratitude. Drawn to him like a magnet, she responded to the affectionate gesture, reaching up his back and holding him there. Joey slid the phone into his pocket and then put his arms around her, still amazed at how well they fit together anytime they embraced. Maybe moving in with Duke would be the beginning of a better time for him.

'_I'm going to call him after we have something to eat and tell him yes. I bet I can get my clothes tomorrow morning early before dad is up and just leave him a note, telling him not to worry, and maybe to talk to Mai about giving him this phone number she just gave me. There's no doubt this is what I want, and I know it's what she wants too.'_

Joey let himself run a hand through her hair, lovingly caressing the side of her face. He wanted to kiss her in a deeper way, but he held himself off. Mai patted him on the back and then pulled away with a smile. He brought her hand to his lips to kiss the back of it, making the young woman's smile grow even broader.

"Now sit down so I can get started on these sandwiches," Mai went to the refrigerator and pulled out the butter, cheese and some bacon, "Would you like some bacon with your grilled cheese?"

"Mmm, that sounds good! Sure, why not?" Joey sat down and looked over at the CD player on the kitchen table. Mai must have noticed, because she came over and turned it on. He smiled; pleased she'd decided to share this with him. "I think I'm going to tell Duke yes. Mai, after I move, will you go out on a date with me?"

Mai stiffened up and then slowly turned to face him.

"Are you asking me to be your girlfriend, Joey Wheeler?"

"What if I am? Will you go out with me?" Joey stood up, and she turned to face him.

"You know the answer to that, don't you? I have been your girl for a long time already, you just didn't know it yet." She turned back to the stove, flipping one of the sandwiches before she felt Joey coming up behind her.

'_I guess he is feeling better. What a relief it is that he is moving in with Duke. I think he might finally start to be happy.'_

Strong arms wrapped around Mai's waist, and she shuddered as he embraced her from behind, his head resting beside hers, his hands on her hips. She gasped and swooned against him. He stood firmly when her right hand reached up finding its way into the hair at the nape of his neck. He moaned and gently pulled her hips back against him as he moved his head against her fingers. But soon, Joey couldn't stand anymore and had to back away before he broke down and kissed her.

'_It's not like if something **did** happen between us that it would be a bad thing. It's not like we haven't known each other for years already. She said it best; she has been my girl for a long time, I just didn't know it yet.'_

"Well, I know it now and I'm hungry, but it isn't really food I want. But I'd better sit down and just adore you from over there or else you won't get those sandwiches finished." Joey bent down as he spoke, and as he stopped he kissed her shoulder, letting his lips linger there, feeling relaxed and at ease.

"My, I'd say someone is feeling better. Mmm, do that again, will you Red?" she looked up at him over her shoulder as he'd moved to sit down.

"I promise I'll do that again, my RoseWhip. I like this music. Def Leppard, isn't it?" Joey gracefully moved into the chair as Mai nodded.

"Their stuff is pretty cool. I think I have this CD at home."

"Really? I figured that you'd have heard of them. I was listening to it earlier, I sometimes even dance around my apartment just for fun."

She grinned at him, and then she hesitated as she seemed to notice something odd in the way he was smiling at her. It was a big dumb looking grin and she felt as if he was looking right into her soul.

"Yeah, like you did this morning! It was lovely and so are you. I wish I felt better; I'd love to dance with you," Joey knew she was embarrassed by his statement, but they had a friendly challenge of sorts to try to one up the other any time the opportunity presented itself.

"You mean you saw me?" Her mouth was a perfect picture of fear and Joey frowned, seeing he'd upset her rather then flatter her.

"Yes, I saw you out here this morning, and also when I got up last night with that cramp in my leg. I even stood at your door for a few moments watching you sleep, and then, before I turned to lay back down, you started thrashing around and crying out."

"Do you really mean that? That you would love to dance with me?" her lavender eyes pleaded with him for honesty and he gave it to her without question.

"Yes, I did. I'd like to dance with my girl, is that such a terrible thing?"

She giggled, "No, I just didn't expect that you'd have seen me earlier like that. So get an eyeful with me in that little shiny nightie?"

Joey winked and nodded, "I was in awe of your gracefulness and I was so faking it when you came back in after that. I was so sure you'd catch onto me and get pissed I was watching you, but I couldn't help myself. I heard you singing and that got me out of bed."

"I bet you couldn't, you stinker. I'm going to get even with you for that; mark my words. Anyway, this is going to be a great cheese sandwich so I want you to enjoy it." Mai brought over a plate to Joey.

"Oh yeah, that's heavenly! Where's yours?"

"Over here. Just relax; I'm just going to get this pan soaking."

She lifted the spatula and pan putting them both into the stainless steel sink, and then she turned on the hot water to get them wet. Next, she picked up a can of soda she'd pulled out for herself when she'd put the remaining soda from the freezer back into the refrigerator. A minute later, she was sitting next to him, a bag of pretzels between them.

As they ate, Joey reached under the table to tickle her feet with his and she playfully told him to stop it, but her shining eyes told him she wanted anything but. After they'd both finished their grilled cheeses, Joey got up and took her plate along with his over to the sink. Mai came up behind him and took a turn embracing him from behind while he tried to do the washing-up. He chuckled and turned on the hot water, taking the dish soap and the yellow sponge. Joey washed their two plates; next, he flipped it over to use the green scrubby side on the frying pan Mai had used to make their sandwiches on.

Joey let her hug him around the waist as he ran water over the pan to give it a final rinse. After he'd inspected it for soap, he put it in the dish rack, where the two plates were now drying. The spatula was last, and once he had it cleaned and sitting in the dish rack, he rinsed the sponge, washed his hands and turned off the water. He reached for a couple of paper towels and dried his hands off before turning around to hold her in his arms. Over her shoulder, he made a basket shot with the paper towels into the trashcan and then let his hands crawl down her back, for some reason he started to sway to the music. She melted right into him and they slow danced to "Hysteria" before Joey started to feel like he needed to sit down.

"I need to give Duke a call; can I use my phone?" he winked at her and she nodded. Joey pulled the cell phone from his front jeans pocket and asked her if she had his number to hand.

"Yeah, he left his number for you on the coffee table; he wrote it down for you on one of his shop's business cards."

"Great! What do you say to me getting this call out of the way?" He picked up his ginger ale and went over to the couch, with Mai right beside him.

He sat down and picked up the card Duke left for him, and then he dialed the number written there. Duke answered on the third ring and Joey heard Yugi laughing in the background at some noise he could just about make out.

"Hello?" Duke asked.

"Hi Duke, it's Joey. I was thinking about what you said and the answer is yes. When do you want me to bring my stuff over?"

"Hi Joey! Hey Yugi, turn that down, will you? Joey's on the phone. Ok, that's better. What about tomorrow morning? Anyway, are you feeling better?"

Joey laughed, "Oh yeah, I'm just fine! Listen, Duke; if I get on your nerves or something just know you can always come out and tell me, straight up. I really think working for you would be fun, so yes to that too. Tomorrow morning sounds fine to me. Shall I call you after eight or so?"

"Yeah, that'd be perfect, Joey. Hey! Wanna talk to Yugi for a sec?"

"Sure, talk to you tomorrow Duke, bye!" Joey waited, and then Yugi's cheerful voice greeted him, "Hi, Yugi; having fun? I'm sorry I had to bail on you but I don't feel so good. I should be better tomorrow, though."

"Oh yeah, I saw the room Nelson moved out of and it's awesome Joey. You won't need anything but your stuff; there's furniture and all sorts of things in there waiting for you. Duke even has a computer set up in there on a desk and all. You'll like it, I bet."

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing it too, Yug. About the other day; I'm real sorry I didn't tell you about all that sooner."

"Don't worry about it, Joey. As long as you're all right that's all that matters. Tell Mai I said hi."

"I will. Have fun, Yugi. Bye!" Joey hung up after Yugi and he turned to look at Mai.

"You know, I think you're going to be really happy there with Duke, judging by the smile you're wearing."

"Yeah, I think I will too. I'm going to take this sweatshirt off. I feel pretty good now that I ate something, and things are finally looking up too."

Mai giggled and snuggled up to him as she helped him lift off the sweatshirt. It caught his tee shirt as the cotton stuck to the sweatshirt, revealing his chest, and it made him laugh to see how Mai was gawking at him when he got the shirts untangled enough to get the right one off.

"What? Don't tell me you think I need a tan or something!"

"Oh, nothing like that, Joey! I was just eyeing your stomach. You really have great abs." Mai reached down and tickled Joey, making him cough.

"Man, Mai! I can't laugh right now. I'm feeling too happy, and if you think I've got nice abs then I appreciate the compliment. I would say likewise, but I wouldn't want to overstep my boundaries so early in the evening."

"Oh please! You like to press every boundary you come across and you damn well know it. You're really something else, Joey. A real class act."

He laughed, and she reached to the remote to turn on the television. They sat there watching videos and talking for a long while. She got up to take a shower and he fell asleep on the couch. Leaving him there, she went to bed soon after but left her door cracked open in case he needed her or wanted to come in later to be with her when he woke up. It was hard to fall asleep but the blonde finally did, a small smile on her face.


	9. Leaving The Past Behind

Author Note: I do not own Yugioh or any of the characters from the show. I hope you enjoy this story and I look forward to seeing what people think of it. If you like it please R&R. I don't expect this to be a long story like my other two Yugioh fics, but I think it will be a fun ride as it moves along. Just a warning; this story will contain spoilers for Battle City and possibly the Noah's Virtual World saga. This fic has been beta read by Minor Arcana; a big thank you to her for all her help and advice on the story.

Dog Days Chapter Nine: Leaving The Past Behind

-o-

They arrived at Joey's house around eight-thirty, and Joey asked Mai to wait for him in the car. She nodded and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze before he opened the door to exit the car and headed inside the only house he'd ever lived in. The front door was unlocked, and as he opened it Joey wrinkled his nose at the horrible smell that greeted him as he entered the humble dwelling. His father was nowhere in sight so Joey carefully crept to his room, avoiding the empty beer cans that littered the dirty carpet.

'_I hope dad sleeps in late today, like he usually does. If I can just get my school clothes and everything else I should be able to get out before he even knows I was here.'_

After he'd gathered all the clothes he was taking and had piled them on his bed, Joey went out into the kitchen to get a couple of garbage bags to put them all in. His fear of being caught was intensified with every passing moment, so he quickly chucked everything into the garbage bags and then went to his closet. There weren't many things left that he cared about, as his father had slowly destroyed his toys, along with anything that he owned. But Joey had a really expensive backgammon set; one with a tan leather box the board itself was housed in. He'd picked it up at a secondhand shop a few months back and he imagined he could play it with Duke, since the black-haired young man was a whiz with dice.

Besides that, he had his tape collection, a photo album and a few books that he'd managed to save from being destroyed. The last things he took were the clock radio and the cheap stereo from his nightstand, putting them on top of his clothes and tennis shoes. He'd written a note to his dad before they had left earlier this morning, and as he lugged the bulky garbage bags out towards the front door, Joey heard movement in his father's bedroom. His heart pounded frantically in his chest, so he left the garbage bags right where they were, two feet from the door, and took out the note from his trouser pocket, which he swiftly put on the coffee table.

Joey heard the door to his dad's room opening and he panicked. He bolted towards the two garbage bags, grabbing them both in one hand and lugging them to the front door. He had it open in seconds and was trying to be quiet as he shut it. His dad hadn't yelled or anything, so he thought it was safe to assume that he hadn't noticed he was even in the house. Moving one of the bags to his other hand, he headed for the blue sports car that Mai owned. He smiled at her, but still terrified that his dad might come out hollering at him, ready to beat him to a pulp.

Mai used the trunk release from inside the car so that Joey was able to put his stuff in there while she started the car up. After he closed the trunk, he swiftly walked around the car to the passenger side and got in. He shrunk down in the seat, cringing when the door to his house opened and his father, holding the note, looked around to see if he could spot the young teen. Mai put the car in gear and then they were on their way away from the house that Joey thankfully never had to spend another night in again. He relaxed once they were out of sight of the house, and then he sat up properly in the seat.

"Thanks, Mai, I really appreciate this. I'm glad I didn't have to talk to him, but that was sure too close for comfort," Joey said, shrugging off the fear of facing his father.

"You're welcome, but you don't have to thank me, Joey. Friends support each other, no matter what."

"Yes, they do. But even so, I have to thank you for all you've done for me," Joey smiled and looked out the window.

He had a feeling that things were going to get a lot better for him now that he was away from his father.

-o-

Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at Duke's Game Shop, the Black Crown. Mai parked her car and released the trunk before taking her keys out of the ignition, putting them into her handbag. Joey unbuckled his seatbelt as Mai unbuckled hers, then the two got out of the car. They walked up to the entrance together, with Joey carrying both the bags that held all his earthly possessions. When they got to the glass doors, Mai held one open for him as they entered the huge place Duke called home. They saw Yugi and Duke getting out of the elevator and called out to them.

"Hi, Joey! Everything go okay?" Yugi asked, expressing his concern for his friend.

Joey nodded, "Yeah, we had no trouble at all."

Duke gestured to the elevator, "Shall we go upstairs and put your stuff in your room?"

Joey smiled and nodded, following Duke to the elevator with Yugi and Mai right behind him. They all got in and Duke pressed the button for the third floor. The elevator doors shut and it began making the ascent. Joey was anxious about living in the flat, and Duke gave him a reassuring smile.

"I think you'll like it here, Joey. I'm excited about having you around."

"I'm looking forward to it, Duke. I hope you don't mind showing me the ropes around here. I'm a fast learner, but I don't have that much job experience. Just delivering papers and mowing lawns." Joey thought back to his days of mowing some of his neighbor's lawns for ten bucks a week.

"You'll do fine, Joey; don't worry. It's your love of games and experience in dueling that I'm counting on. If you want to work in the restaurant, you are welcome to do that, or if you'd be happiest working the register and helping customers that's fine too."

As the elevator came to a stop, Joey felt his stomach lurch from the inertia of his body adjusting to the sudden lack of upward momentum. The doors opened and Duke smiled, gesturing to Mai to exit the elevator first.

"After you, Mai."

"Thank you, Duke," Mai said, as she got off the elevator and turned to meet Joey's gaze, easily picking up on his anxiety.

'_I wish he wasn't so nervous. I can see it in his eyes that he's worried. Duke is such a nice guy to do this for Joey; it's just what he needed right now.'_

They followed Duke around the richly decorated third floor. Yugi was right next to Duke, and having already seen everything up here, he was pointing out different things as they headed towards the bedrooms. There were a total of five bedrooms, along with three bathrooms, a full service kitchen and an elaborate recreation room. It was very inviting, with a large oval table with red velvet covered chairs, a pool table, video games and a huge plasma screen sitting in a black lacquered entertainment center, along with all sorts of components. Joey gasped at the sight of it and Duke laughed.

"I really enjoyed having you over last night, Yugi. It's nice to have friends around to share all this with. If you want, you can sleep over again tonight and we can stay up late playing games or watching movies or something."

Yugi grinned, "I'd love to, Duke. I know my grandfather won't mind at all. Especially since this is Joey's first night here. I wouldn't want to miss it for the world."

Duke looked over at Mai and, cocking his head to the side, he asked her if she'd like to stay over too, as he had plenty of rooms if she did. She shook her head and told them she had to get ready for a job Monday morning and needed to get to bed early, but that she'd love to stick around until she had to head home later. So it was decided that the foursome would spend the day together. No one commented on the state Joey was in, despite the bruises on his face being quite visible. Duke opened a door and led them into a bedroom that looked just as Yugi had described to Joey on the phone last night.

"Wow, Duke; this is a great room! I'm definitely going to like it here," Joey said, as he turned around, looking at the room that was now his.

"Hey, you're doing me a favor by moving in, Joey, so don't worry about it. Yugi, would you mind coming with me to the kitchen to get some breakfast going? We'll meet up in the rec room. Sound good, Joey?" Duke gave the blonde teen thumbs up as he and Yugi left the room.

Joey took the garbage bags over and put them onto the bed before turning around to face Mai. She had crossed her arms over her chest and was smiling at him. He laughed and sat on the edge of the bed, still stunned that he was actually here, freed from the bondage of his father.

"What do you think, handsome? Could you be happy here and still keep up with school?"

Joey blushed, "Sure I could. In fact I think I could be more then happy here. Look at the size of this bed! It's definitely more comfortable then the old one I've been on since I was a kid."

Mai giggled and came over to sit next to Joey. He looked so happy he was practically glowing. There had been something behind Duke's comments earlier, as if he was making an effort to hide his desire to help Joey. Having grown close to Joey and the gang, she had come to know the group pretty well. It was obvious to her that Duke hadn't needed a roommate and that he was as worried about Joey's well being as she was. She didn't know if Joey had picked up on it or not but it didn't matter, as he had accepted the offer to live here and she would not need to worry about his safety any more.

"I am really glad things are getting better for you, Joey. Since you have a computer now I bet you can get a lot more done on your story. And maybe meet up with me online. We could chat using one of those instant messenger programs. I'd enjoy that a lot."

He nodded, "I'd enjoy that too, Mai. I'll see if I can get one of those programs set up today and we could meet up whenever you want."

Mai leaned over and kissed his cheek, "You do that and look for me tonight. I'll email you after I'm home."

Joey blushed and grinned. He was feeling really good about himself right now, and having Mai here made him feel at ease. He stood up, and when she did he pulled her into a warm embrace. If the door to his room hadn't been open he might have taken advantage of the opportunity to steal a kiss from her, but worried that they might be interrupted, he soon released her from the hug.

"Do you want to go see what Duke and Yug whipped up for breakfast?" As if on cue, his stomach growled and he rolled his eyes.

Mai laughed and nodded, then they left the room heading to where Duke and Yugi were waiting for them.

-o-

"What do you mean there isn't anything you can do? He's been missing for three days dammit and I want my son back!" Jim Wheeler yelled into the phone to the female officer he was talking to.

"I'm sorry, sir, but from what you told me he wrote in that letter he doesn't want to be found. Like I already told you, we'll put out an alert so that if he is found we can get him back home to you. That is the best thing we can do. I suggest you try getting in touch with his friends and wait at home in case he returns."

"Yeah sure, thanks for the help!" Jim hung the phone up without waiting for her response, his head spinning from overindulgence on alcohol.

He looked at the letter Joey had left him again, reading it over for the twentieth time.

'_Dad,_

_I don't want you to worry about me anymore. I am moving out and going to take care of myself now. You need help dad, you really do, and I am not going to be your punching bag anymore. I've had enough of your abuse and I am done with you. Don't come looking for me because you won't find me, and even if you do I won't go **anywhere** with you. I hope you get your act together someday, but I won't let you hurt me anymore._

_Goodbye_

_Joey._

'_How the hell am I supposed to use this note to help me get him back? Damn asshole! He's doing this on purpose to humiliate me and I'm going to kick his girly ass when I find him. He'll be the one who needs help when I'm through with him, by god!'_

Jim went into the room his son had left behind and looked around. All his clothes were gone and there was nothing left that he hadn't already broken. He sighed and shut the door as he left the room. He didn't know how, but he would find Joey, and when he did he would make him pay for thinking he could escape his wrath like his wife had. Oh yes, he'd pay dearly for this.

-o-

It was after seven when Mai left the Black Crown. Joey was inside, putting his things away, getting settled into his room. Duke and Yugi were playing video games in the rec room, so Joey decided to turn on the computer after he'd put the last of his clothes into the large dresser. He sat in the comfortable desk chair and smiled as he spun around in it a couple times whilst the computer started up. Joey was surprised to see that when he tried to open a window it loaded a search engine almost instantly, telling him that it was already connected to the net.

"Whoa! Duke must have a cable or DSL, or something! I bet I can get one of those instant messenger programs installed in no time. But I better check with Duke, just in case he doesn't want me using something like that on here."

Joey stood up and went to join his friends in the other room, hearing their delighted hoots and shouting as they played against each other on some console game. When he entered the room, Duke paused the game and Yugi smiled at Joey.

"Hi Joey, what's up?" Duke asked him.

"Hey guys, I was just wondering if you'd mind me getting one of those instant messenger programs to chat with Mai online sometime. That computer is wicked fast, Duke. But I wanted to check with you before I downloaded anything like that, in case you didn't want me using an IM program."

Duke laughed, "Yeah, it's connected to my network and the net through a T1 setup so the speed is pretty awesome. I have a firewall protecting everything, so if you want to use one of those programs I don't mind, but I might have to help you get it set up."

Joey smiled as Duke went on, "I have a pretty good website and have my own live chat server hosted with it so if you wanted to, Mai could meet you there and you guys could chat whenever without having to worry about downtime on those other programs. I found them to be kind of unreliable, and when you need them most they don't always work."

"Wow, Duke! You have all that stuff set up? Damn you are smart! I bet your site gets a ton of hits, doesn't it?" Yugi asked, his violet eyes wide with awe.

Duke twirled a lock of his raven hair around his fingers as he nodded, "Yeah, it gets some high traffic sometimes and I even have weekly chats scheduled so fans can come chat with me about the game or whatever they want. It should be listed in the browser's favorites under 'Black Crown Main' and on that page there is a link to the chat room. I'll get you set up with a private room so you can chat with Mai and not have people eavesdropping on your conversations."

Duke stood up and walked over towards Joey, who backed up to give him room to exit the room. Leaving the game paused, Yugi joined them, and together they all went to Joey's room. Duke sat down in the chair and his fingers began flying across the keys rapidly as he went to work setting up the private room he'd told Joey he'd set up for him and Mai. After ten minutes, he had everything situated, so he got up and gestured to the chair.

"You'll have to get Mai to make a name and then she can log into it to access the chat. I've given admin privileges to your username so you could give hers access to the private room. If you need anything don't hesitate to ask for help ok?"

Joey grinned, "Thanks Duke, I really appreciate all this. I'll email Mai and let her know what she needs to do so we can chat together. That chat setup looks pretty cool. It's amazing that it has emoticons and all those other features."

Yugi giggled, "Joey. do you mean you actually understand how to _use_ that thing?"

Joey rolled his eyes, "Yeah Yugi, I do. What of it? It's not that hard to figure out, after all."

"Oh nothing. I was just thinking about how you try to act like you're not that bright. It's all an act. I can see right through it, Joey Wheeler, and I bet others can too, right Duke?" Yugi winked at their dark-haired friend, who raised his hands up and shrugged.

"Hey, keep me out of this ok? I don't care who knows what, just as long as I don't have to get between anyone, got it?" his expression was serious and it made Joey and Yugi burst out in laughter.

"What's so funny, you two?" Duke asked, not seeing the humor they saw in the situation.

"Oh nothing, just you thinking we were being serious. It just was too funny, seeing you reacting like we were actually arguing over something so stupid!" Yugi grabbed his sides and fell over onto Joey's bed.

Joey, meanwhile, stopped laughing, but he was still smiling, so Duke chuckled at their behavior and picked up a throw pillow from a nearby chair and threw it at Yugi, who was still in hysterics.

"Hey! Watch it Duke, I sense a pillow fight coming on!" Yugi said, his violet eyes full of mischief.

Yugi hopped up from the bed and grabbed the two pillows there and tossed one to Joey. He easily caught it and raised his eyebrows at Duke who took one look at them and ran away yelling that he was unarmed and it wasn't fair to pick on an unarmed opponent like that. They ran out after him and then saw he had come out of his room with a long pillow that he held over his shoulder, as if daring either of them to get within his range. Yugi felt brave so he ran over and as he was about to whack Duke, he was hit with Duke's pillow.

They ended up in Duke's room and beat the pillows at one another until they were exhausted, lying on the plush red carpet, breathing hard from all the exertion of their fun and games. After a few minutes, the three friends left Duke's bedroom, and while Joey told them he was off to email Mai, Yugi and Duke went back to their game. Joey had to laugh to himself; he had no idea that Duke was so much fun to be around. He was really glad to be here, and he knew he was lucky having friends like them that cared about him.

After he shut his door, he went to the desk chair and sat down to get his email to Mai written and sent. He gave her the link to the site and told her what she needed to do in order to gain access to the private room he would be waiting for her in. After sending the email, he decided to do a little research about a subject he needed to know more about. Looking over the results of the search he'd run, he went to one site that had information on how teens could become emancipated, or, in other words, legally allowed to make their own decisions without having to deal with their parents.

He learned that it was usually cases like his, where abuse existed, that teens were granted the legal rights to make their own choices about their lives. Part of that depended on how they would be able to support themselves and that they had a safe place to live, as well as being able to keep themselves in school. He knew he'd have no problems meeting those requirements, and he was sure Duke would vouch for him on all counts, from being his employer to being his roommate. So Joey relaxed a little. He really would be free soon, he just needed to file a petition for emancipation Monday and hopefully it would be granted without having to face his father at a court hearing.

'_It's hard to believe that things are coming together like they are. All I have to do now is go through the motions and I should be granted the right to control my own life so that Dad won't ever be able to hurt me again. I bet he is pissed as hell at me for leaving, but everything I said in my letter to him was true even if he is too messed up to realize it.'_

Joey refreshed his email inbox and was a little disappointed there wasn't anything from Mai yet. He thought about calling her on the cell phone she'd given him, but he didn't want to be too pushy. He also had a lot of thinking to do in the meantime about where their relationship was heading. Even though he knew Duke had asked him to move in with him here because he had been able to figure out that something bad was going on with him at home, Joey didn't feel guilty for accepting his friend's kindness. Mostly because he admired Duke for the way he carried himself and how he didn't take any nonsense from anyone.

'_In a way he reminds me of myself and Tristan and how we're together, or if we ever need to help one of our friends. I know he likes my sister, but I think even he realizes that he's too much of a free spirit to become seriously involved with someone Serenity's age. But am I in that boat? Mai is older then I am, and God knows she's a hell of a lot more mature then any of us are. I don't want to risk losing her friendship, but at the same time, if she got with another guy, I would hate myself for not asking her out when I had the chance.'_

Joey wondered what Mai wanted. She'd said she'd wait for him, but had she meant it? If she had it wouldn't be as long of a wait, as he'd first thought it would be when they'd talked that day. He closed his eyes and called up the image of her in the bathroom that morning, how the sun had looked as it reflected in her hair. He could almost recall the scent of her as he shivered, thinking about that embrace they'd shared that morning and how badly he'd wanted to kiss her. But was it worth risking their friendship to see if they could be good for each other?

He sighed and refreshed his inbox again. This time there was a reply waiting for him from Mai. He opened it and she'd told him she'd be there in a few minutes once she got settled in. He closed his eyes, wondering where she was in her apartment and whether or not she'd changed out of her clothes yet or if she was still wearing the purple leather miniskirt and white tank top. He waited in the chat and got an alert that _HarpyLady_ was online and wanted to chat with him. He smiled at the name and knew it had to be Mai, so he granted her access to the virtual room.

-o-

Mai had changed into a nightgown and was sitting comfortably on her couch, her laptop on her knees. She had to smile at the name Joey had chosen, _RedEyesDuelist_, the same as his penname on the writing site. She had gone with _HarpyLady_ and was impressed with the site Duke had set up for his game shop. The chat itself was equipped with more features then with what she knew to do. As she was taken into the private room, Joey was waiting for her and she smiled when he greeted her.

They chatted for a long while before she found she was yawning and had to call it a night. He said he was going to stay up and play games with the guys but that he'd be thinking of her. That made her smile, and she told him she'd be thinking about him too, and that she wished him luck in beating Duke and Yugi in whatever games they ended up playing. A couple of minutes later, she shut down her computer and went to her bedroom. It seemed to be larger then she remembered and she figured it was just because she was missing Joey. As she got into bed she sighed, feeling that familiar heaviness of being lonely.

'_I wonder if he is really thinking about me. I bet he is, the big softie. I doubt he knows how much I care about him, though. Maybe I can show him just how deeply I care about him soon. After he gets comfortable being on his own, maybe he'll want to take things between us to the next level. I know I wouldn't think twice about being with him; not after all we've been through together and how it feels right being in his arms. I know what I feel for Joey is different; I've never felt this way towards anyone else in my life. Until now.'_

She turned on her side and let her mind drift, as images of being in his arms filled her thoughts. It wasn't long before she was sleeping soundly, dreaming about being with Joey on a beach, walking hand in hand under the light of a full moon. The uncertainty of the future loomed ahead of her, yet she wasn't afraid, not with Joey at her side. Even though she might feel alone, she knew even as she dreamed that she wasn't alone and wouldn't be as long as she held him close to her heart.


	10. Embracing Freedom

Author Note: I do not own Yugioh or any of the characters from the show. I hope you enjoy this story and I look forward to seeing what people think of it. If you like it please R&R. I don't expect this to be a long story like my other two Yugioh fics, but I think it will be a fun ride as it moves along. Just a warning this story will contain spoilers for Battle City and possibly the Noah's Virtual World saga. This fic has been beta read by Minor Arcana; a big thank you to her for all her help and advice on the story.

Chapter Ten: Embracing Freedom

-o-

Morning light pierced the darkened room, filtering in through the opening between the navy blue curtains, though nowhere to any such intensity that it was enough to disturb the two sleeping inside. The two were out cold, having stayed up far too late the previous evening. It had to have been close to two in the morning before sleep had began to claim the young men who were still resting quietly. They'd had a fun time playing games with Duke in the large room devoted solely to entertainment, kicking back to relax watching television, snacking on whatever was convenient.

Meanwhile, their host was already awake and hard at work. Duke Devlin was sitting in his room in front of his computer, working on some new ideas he'd had that had potential as possible new games he could develop. The farthest thing from the young man's mind was the other two teens sleeping off the late night celebration of Joey's first night free from his father's grip. He reached for his drink, an ice-cold can of soda, and took a sip before putting it back onto the coaster on his desk. Despite not being a programmer, Duke had an amazing aptitude for articulating his ideas and scripting them out so that others could put them into action.

He'd already been working with some people to get a computer version of his first game, Dungeon Dice Monsters, released before the summer of next year, if all went well and his association with Kaiba Corporation prospered. Duke had met with Seto Kaiba to arrange the terms of their working relationship, and at that time it had been planned out that they would work together creating scenarios for a virtual role playing game based on Dungeon Dice Monsters. Making good use of the database, Seto Kaiba had created holographic representations of the images of the cards and the hundreds of monsters his game had in common with the beloved game of Duel Monsters.

When he was working like this he didn't need to have eight hours of sleep under his belt. In fact, Duke felt as though he could work better with much less rest. His mind was conditioned to respond to the desire of his will, and he desired to create something as unique as Kaiba had with his own virtual role playing game. Being in the virtual world, the one Noah had trapped them in, had given the young man motivation to undertake the task of making Dungeon Dice Monsters a virtual adventure game.

It was fortunate for him that being around during the Battle City Tournament he had impressed the young CEO enough that Seto Kaiba had agreed to meet with him at all. One thing Duke knew, he had to keep up his end of their agreement because Kaiba expected people to mean what they said and to meet the deadlines they agree to. Anything else was unacceptable, and Duke knew it was a fantastic opportunity to help solidify his name in the world of gaming. As he continued working, his thoughts did drift back to the young man he'd seen stand in defiance of the Ancient Egyptian God Ra twice and live.

'_I hope he can find the meaning of freedom here; he's been through so much, and I am sure his sister knows nothing about the abuse their dad puts him through. If I have anything to say about it, she won't know about it if that is Joey's wish. A spirit as strong-willed and good-hearted as he is deserves to know the reward of the freedom to be what you are inside.'_

As hours passed the young man became aware that his guest and his roommate were awake and moving about. Taking a morning break from his work, Duke left to spend some time with his friends.

-o-

"Are you sure you can't stick around, Yugi?" Joey asked, hoping his friend would change his mind.

Yugi shook his head, "I wish I could, Joey, but grandpa needs me to help at the shop today. You could come with me if you wanted to, but it will probably be pretty boring going through inventory like we have to."

"No, thanks for asking though, Yug. I'll just sit here and work on some stuff. I'm glad you could stay over last night, though. Call me later if you can," Joey said as he walked with Yugi outside.

"I will, Joey. Bye!"

And with that, Yugi was on his way back home. Joey felt better today but he still wasn't fully recovered. He wondered what his dad was up to and if he'd be trying to find him. If he did, there was a chance he might try to talk to Yugi. But Joey had already told Yugi to tell him that he hadn't seen him if that happened. Joey needed time to get his petition filed, hopefully getting it granted without the need for a hearing. The bruises on his face would probably be enough evidence to earn him his freedom, but if they needed more his arms were still black and blue.

'_I doubt they would do anything to help dad, though. He needs to stop drinking, but I don't see him doing that any time soon.'_

Heading back up to his room, Joey passed by Duke in the upstairs hallway. He had decided a while ago that he should talk to him about his plans and now was as good of a time as any to do that.

"Hey Duke? I've been thinking and looking online and I think that tomorrow after school I need to go by the courthouse to file a petition to become emancipated from my father. Do you think you could take me there after classes are over?"

Duke nodded, "Absolutely, Joey. I knew you'd have to get the ball rolling on that. I already have a letter printed up that I'll sign in front of the clerk there so the judge can see that you'll be living here with me, going to school and working here part time."

"Thanks, Duke. I think that will be enough to persuade the judge to grant it for me. Can I ask you something?"

"Sure. What?"

Duke smiled and Joey's expression was dark as he thought about the best way to form the question that had been in his mind since Duke made the offer to him to move in here with him.

"What made you ask me to move in with you?" Joey asked, his tone serious and unmocking.

Duke's smile faded and he lowered his eyes, "I-I felt you needed to get away from your dad, Joey. I knew your face was messed up and I hated to think of you getting beat up by your dad. It was your dad that did that to you, wasn't it?"

Nodding, Joey understood from the sincerity Duke emanated that Yugi had not broken his promise, "Yeah, it was. So you figured it out on your own that he was knocking me around, then?"

Duke cleared his throat and looked very uncomfortable, but both young men knew that it was better that they got things out in the open now anyway, so he nodded.

"I thought so. But I wanted to make sure. Look, Duke, I don't want to cramp your style or anything, and I want to pay my way around here, so I want you to treat me like you would any other guy working for you, ok?" Joey spoke.

Duke laughed.

"Sure thing, Joey. You don't have to worry about me, though. I will let you know if something's bugging me. I hope you're not offended that I asked you to move in with me like I did."

"Not at all, Duke. Actually, quite the opposite. I am grateful you care enough about me to do such a thing for me. I just had to make sure you knew what I have in mind for the future, specifically getting out from under my old man's grip."

"You can count on my help, Joey. You're too nice to be treated like that. If you want to give Serenity a call to let her know you're staying here you can just use the phone in your room or anywhere here instead of using your cell phone."

Joey grinned at the mention of his sister, "Yeah, I should give her a call. Thanks for everything, Duke; you're a real pal to be looking out for me like this. My sister doesn't know anything about all this and I only want her to know I moved out, not the reasons behind it. You know, I don't think I could accept this kind of help from any other person but you."

Duke returned Joey's smile and nodded as he reached a hand to the blonde's shoulder, "Well, you and Yugi showed me what true friendship is, and because of that there was no way I could just ignore what was happening to you. Joey, friends don't run away when someone they care about is in pain. They do whatever it takes to support and empower each other, through good times and bad."

"I want you to know how much it means to me that you'd put yourself on the line for me like this. I have to give my notice to my boss at the newspaper that this will be my last two weeks with them, as long as you're still sure you want me to start working here with you."

"Of course I'm sure. It's up to you, though, what you'd like to do. Whenever you're ready to start is fine with me. Getting your situation taken care of is more important so we'll focus on that first. What do you say we grab some lunch and maybe play a few rounds of backgammon on that board I saw on your desk?"

"Sounds like a plan, Duke, lead the way."

Duke gave his friend's shoulder a squeeze before he started off towards the kitchen to fix something for lunch, Joey right behind him.

-o-

The next day, as school let out, a somber-faced man scanned the groups of kids that left the campus. When a tall blonde appeared with a few other teens, the man's beady red rimmed eyes narrowed hatefully. He obviously recognized the young man who waved farewell to three of his friends as he walked beside a black haired teen, heading towards an older styled light green Cadillac. Long fingers with dry cracked skin, scarred and callused from years of hard labor, gripped the paper-covered beer can, which was sitting on the seat between his legs. He waited for the dark-haired kid to led him to where he needed to go; to find the hideout his son had fled to so he could forcefully take the little dirtbag back home to kick around his castle the way it should be.

On the other side of the parking lot was a black car, alongside which a man wearing sunglasses and a dark blue suit watched what was happening. He remained close behind Jim Wheeler, who followed Duke Devlin all the way back to the Black Crown. Although Jim drove past the Game Shop, he'd confirmed Joey was carrying his backpack as he walked up to the glass doors, which lead him to believe that this was where his son was staying. The man wearing the dark suit and sunglasses pulled a block away from the Game Shop in front of a strip mall where he then took out a cell phone, and made a call. As he watched the doors close and the targets go out of his view, he asked to speak to Seto Kaiba. When a deep voice answered from a speakerphone, he recognized the voice of his boss.

"Kaiba here," came the slightly impatient greeting.

"Yes, sir. Mason reporting in. You were right sir, they were followed. What are your orders?"

"Was it the same man from the photos you took of the house on Beacon Drive?"

"Yes, sir. Shall I stay and remain on guard for his presence?"

"Yes, Mason; keep me informed if you see something that endangers my interests. Don't hesitate to use force to keep your targets safe."

"Yes, Mr. Kaiba sir," the man said, compliant as ever.

"Good." Seto said matter-of-factly.

Setting up the dashboard camera, the man readied the tools his employer had given him to adequately fulfill his appointed task, to protect Duke Devlin and Joey Wheeler. As long as his orders were to tail the two teens, Arthur Mason would enforce Kaiba's wishes without a second thought. Even if it meant he had to get involved, he knew how to defend himself in hand to hand combat and was confident he could take down that fumbling drunk without even breaking a sweat.

'_I half hope he tries something to give me an excuse to hand some pain to that bastard. No kid should have to put up with that bullshit. If Mr. Kaiba wanted to, he could document the abuse from the dated photos I took that his kid was bruised and obviously beaten. Yes, I'm sure the police would be very interested in what we have on this low life scum.'_

Anger boiled deeply within the man. Having seen the benevolent attitude of the cavalier young man he'd been following and seen in the library, and at the apartment of the lady duelist who had been a beta tester Kaiba Corporation had employed before, Arthur Mason was impressed with him. He was glad the young store owner and game developer had opened his home to the kid. It was a good move to get him out of the dangerous environment his irrational father had created at the house on Beacon Drive.

-o-

Half an hour later, Duke and Joey left, Mason following them from behind, the homing device he'd affixed to the Cadillac the night before capable of tracking their location so he could lose visual contact yet regain it easily enough. After having seen evidence of the young blonde moving in with the associate of Kaiba, the device had been deployed to help aid him in eluding detection by either the targets or anyone else. It was no surprise to him that Mr. Kaiba had predicted this next place so precisely, but he had. He'd told Mason that odds were heavily in favor of the young duelist going to the courthouse to take the first steps in taking control over his life.

The two young men were oblivious to the presence of a real life Jack Havoc type who'd taken on the business interests related to their safety. Had Joey been able to distinguish between Arthur Mason and all the other drivers around them, he would have been impressed by the equipment he had with him. Kaiba hadn't authorized him directly spying and recording the two teens, but to monitor the scenes from the outside to watch out for anyone who might be inclined to hurt them. Parking out of visual distance of the courthouse, the man got out of his black car with a newspaper under his arm.

Carrying it over to a bench where people waited for the city buses to pick them up, Arthur Mason sat down and waited. It was almost forty-five minutes later that Joey and Duke appeared, leaving the building. Mr. Mason waited until they were in the car before moving from the bench. He didn't even look at the two young men, instead allowing his miniscule camcorder to be his eyes as he trained upon them. Once they were on the road, he got up and followed them back to the Black Crown. It was getting close to dinnertime and his relief would be here shortly. He didn't like to take evenings off, and tonight he felt especially opposed to just clocking out and leaving this task up to someone else.

'_I just have a bad feeling about this weirdo. I think he is the type who is about to snap and try to take out as many people with him as he can, preferably his own son who he is angry at because he dared to stand up to him by moving out.'_ Arthur thought miserably. _'I think I understand why you assigned me to this, sir. Because you wish someone had been able to save you the way you saved Mokuba. Seeing this young man in trouble brings back your own abusive past at the hands of an adoptive father who held you in contempt, like this man holds his son in.'_

He knew better then to ever speak of this to his boss, but that didn't mean he couldn't think about it and understand Kaiba's motives for doing something like this. Mason had been with Kaiba Corp for over ten years so he could remember what things were like under Gozaburo Kaiba before Seto came into the picture, renaming the company and changing its focus. It was still as strong, if not a stronger knit company under Seto's control, then it had been under its previous CEO. He admired Seto, and this reaffirmed the older man's judgement of his employer being a good and kind person deep down.

As he waited for the second shift relief team to appear, he played back the tape he made of the teens leaving the courthouse. He could see fear gripping the blonde despite his smile; his body language spoke of practiced fight or flight impulses. While Duke, on the other hand, walked with an air of confidence he recognized his boss also conducted himself with. But being a good reader of people, Arthur could tell that while he was walking casually, the raven-haired teen had been scanning around himself and his blonde friend as they'd made their way to his car.

'_Smart kid. Hopefully that drunken fool will leave well enough alone and I can return to more Kaiba Corp related business again.'_

-o-

Joey was sitting in front of his computer chatting with Mai as he was writing in another window. She was glad to hear he'd gotten the paperwork started that would grant him control over his life and that he was set to go before the judge next week. He had thought about calling his sister but decided to wait until he was closer to his goal of winning his legal rights to free him from parental control. It had been difficult filling in all the required information on the long statement form, but Duke had sat with him, helping him along through it. Looking around this room, he knew that he'd made the right decision to act now because days ago he'd felt helpless.

Now he was beginning to feel something he'd only ever tasted when he would accompany Yugi and the gang on one of their adventures and they only had each other to lean on to get through it all. Then how he'd felt with Mai, how being alone with her made him feel and that he could feel it even now despite that they weren't in the same room together, just being able to talk in the chat off the Black Crown main site was comforting. He felt so good that he'd been able to get his petition filed and was in a safe place now, one where he could relax for the first time in a long time.

'_Things are definitely looking up for me now,'_ he thought to himself.

He'd asked Mai to go out with him that coming Friday evening, since he was certain she'd agree to go out.

They flirted playfully on the chat, with him asking her what she had on and her doing the same with him. It was a fun way to wind down after a long day at school. Joey was excited that it seemed that his life was at last moving in a positive direction after being in a dark hole for so long; it felt fantastic to step out into the light. He chatted with Mai for three hours before they finally said goodnight to each other.

Then he got up to indulge in a long leisurely shower, blowing his hair dry before heading back to his room for bed. His last thoughts lingered on how exhilarating it felt to be free, even if he didn't know what he would end up doing with his life, but for the first time in his seventeen years he felt he was up to facing the challenge of finding out along the way. One thing his father had instilled in him over the years was a hard working ethic and a general respect for other working people. He knew he wouldn't be working in a game store in ten years, but if working at one now helped him until he was set up with his desired career then he'd work at the Black Crown proudly.

-o-

As an additional Author note I want to speak about something. I was never faced with abuse of the magnitude I have depicted Joey's dad inflicting upon the young man mercilessly and relentlessly to the point you truly can feel that the attacker is some stranger acting out in a familiar person's body. Hurting someone less able to defend themselves from such attacks from people that are supposed to protect you from harm is wrong. I would hope that anyone living in such conditions would try to accept that it is the **other** person with the problem and staying allowing the abuse to continue will only bring you great pain unless you find ways to cope.

Writing for me has always been a great release and if you read my other story, "Lean On Me," you'll know I'm quite honest about my motives for why I create the situations I do in my stories. Using characters where things to prove or disprove the potential of a series of events that can't be pointed to directly. More things that you can imagine from what the anime shows us and perhaps drawing upon the manga and deeper themes of this show then just morality and dignity in facing an adversary with honor and courage. I figured this being chapter ten I owed everyone a little extra about the reasons for this story and showing I appreciate the reviews that show me it's being enjoyed by others here on I hope that you're finding "Dog Days" as much as I am writing it. I don't know that I will be able to get another update in before New Year's but I will try to. Thanks to all who R & R!


	11. The First Date, First Kiss

Author Note: I do not own Yugioh or any of the characters from the show. I hope you enjoy this story and I look forward to seeing what people think of it. If you like it please R&R. I don't expect this to be a long story like my other two Yugioh fics, but I think it will be a fun ride as it moves along. There is a lemon addition to chapter eight that I wrote, if you would like to read it you can email me to request it.

Just a warning; this story will contain spoilers for Battle City and possibly the Noah's Virtual World saga. This fic has been beta read by Minor Arcana; a big thank you to her for all her help and advice on the story.

Dog Days Chapter Eleven: The First Date, First Kiss

-o-

The week passed uneventfully and by the time Friday arrived, Joey had begun to relax as he found a new routine by which to order his life. Duke had really gone out of his way to make Joey feel at home and even though Joey wasn't actually working at the Black Crown yet he enjoyed learning about how things ran. It was exhilarating having the freedom to do as he pleased, whenever he pleased. As he sat in the passenger seat of Duke's car he smiled, looking forward to his evening out with Mai. Being able to sit up late talking to her in the chat room was something Joey was seriously enjoying.

His thoughts went back to last night and how he'd asked her what she wanted to do on their date. Her response had made him shudder.

"_Well what if we went out for a nice dinner and came back to my place? I could model something I finished making. You'll never guess what it is but I know you'll love it, RedEyes."_

He'd figured it had to be a costume of some sorts, his money was on it being some form of Harpy Lady outfit, but if he was wrong he could easily live with that too. Life was so much simpler now for the young teen. He was brought back to reality when Duke turned off the radio and parked his car. Joey reached down to his backpack between his feet and then he got out after Duke. They went inside the Black Crown and were greeted by one of the employees as they made their way upstairs. Joey had some homework he wanted to get out of the way so he and Duke parted ways as they each went to their bedrooms.

-o-

A man across the street started up a dashboard camera and sat patiently, watching activity as it went on all around him. He made momentary eye contact with a passing driver who drove past the strip mall. The man behind the wheel of the black sedan then smiled as he pulled a cell phone from his coat pocket. He didn't notice the curtains at a window to a room upstairs in the game shop, part partially revealing a green eyed young man twisting a lock of his long black hair in the fingers of one hand.

'_I know I have seen this guy before. But just who is he working for? I have a feeling it has to be Kaiba. Who else? I know what Yugi told me about his conversation with him about Joey, that he knows about Joey's father, though he has yet to indicate that awareness in any way I've seen.'_

Duke leaned back away from his window and sat down in his desk chair. He'd begun noticing the pattern to this feeling he'd gotten that they were being watched, and with Kaiba acting like nothing worth his while went on in school it was as if Joey and the others had fallen completely off the elite duelist's radar. If anything, that in itself struck him as odd enough, but since he'd begun working with the young man on his game he'd come to recognize a great many qualities he shared with him.

Of course, Duke knew he was no match for Kaiba at Duel Monsters, he just hoped he never had to face him at his own game as facing him would be difficult once he really understood the in's and out's of Dungeon Dice Monsters. It was also a somewhat unspoken agreement between him and the CEO of Kaiba Corp that they went on at school as if there was nothing going on between them business related. He got the feeling that this man parked outside was along those same lines of being par for the course of doing business with Seto Kaiba, the CEO expecting him to safeguard his interests.

If he got the feeling that something was going on that shouldn't be, he knew how to get in touch with Kaiba. In fact, he had a direct line to him, and they _did_ confer at all hours about the game's progression from sketched out ideas to elements of a holographic environment that were to be incorporated into the actual game play. But just to be safe, Duke set up a camera to observe the block from the vantage point of his window. The thought had crossed his mind that Joey's father might come trying to find his son at some point, and if things got violent the camera could help document Joey's case.

'_I hope it doesn't come down to that, but I want to be prepared. I know how insane some fathers can be, considering my past. Yugi and his friends didn't care about any of it, they liked me for me. I know they like Kaiba, but he really doesn't seem to feel much for anyone but Mokuba. Which is why seeing this silent observer here day after day tells me maybe he does feel for people, specifically Yugi and Joey. As long as everything stays quiet, that's all I care about.'_

Duke shrugged off the feeling that something bad was looming over the horizon. He didn't want to admit it, but he was glad not to be alone anymore. He had been an only child so his life had been more like Yugi's then Joey's. What he'd seen of Joey's relationship with his younger sister Serenity had warmed his heart. That might have been partially why he'd decided to move Joey in with him, but another reason why was because of the escalating savage nature of the attacks upon the young blonde. He had to force back memories of what he'd seen in the locker room on Joey's back a month ago. Seeing Joey's face bruised last week, Duke had seen enough and knew he had to act now or be ready to accept that he might end up going to Joey's funeral.

Although that was a horrible thought, it too had crossed his mind during the time he'd spent thinking about whether or not this was the right thing to do. Now he knew it had been the right thing to do, but when he'd soul searched on whether or not to ask Joey to leave his dad he'd been deeply touched by the haunting dark memories in his own relationship with his father. Unlike Yugi, it had been his father who had planned out that he would use his own son to avenge himself against a man who'd bested him in a game twenty years ago, none other then Yugi's grandfather, Solomon Motou.

Duke had been relieved when his father had ended up put away in a special hospital for people who could hurt themselves and possibly others. Before he had known how wrong he'd been to let his father try to push him into beating Yugi by any means necessary, Duke hadn't known better as he'd blindly followed his abusive father without question. He'd learned early in his life what the harsh consequences of any defiance would be. He'd thought living for your father under his watchful eye as he had was normal but it wasn't. He knew that now, and he was glad that Joey being here meant he was away from a man who probably didn't know any better then to act out in drunken rages, beating up his son just because he was a convenient target to vent his hatred upon.

Sighing, Duke picked up where he'd left off the night before. Joey was going out with Mai tonight and he didn't expect to see his friend until morning if even that soon. Therefore, he was ready to get a lot done tonight. He turned on his stereo and combed over the plans Kaiba had sent him yesterday. Soon he wasn't thinking about the man in the dark car outside, or the young blonde taking a shower, fighting nerves in the bathroom. If Joey _had_ come to talk to him, Duke wouldn't have thought twice about offering any advice to him about how to treat a lady. He was as comfortable having Joey around now as he was showing off in front of his adoring fan girls, with whom he had a scheduled appearance set for this weekend.

-o-

Jim Wheeler grumbled at the doorbell sounding, certain it wouldn't be Joey after he'd seen how he was staying with that dark haired young man. He approached the door slowly and then opened it with the chain still connected, thinking it was probably some Girl Scout selling cookies or something just as annoying. He blinked in confusion at the policeman standing on the porch.

"Are you James Wheeler?" asked the man standing at the door, holding an envelope in his right hand.

Jim furrowed his brows suspiciously before answering, "Yes. Can I help you, officer?"

The man extended his hand reaching the envelope through the crack of the door, "You are expected to appear in court next week. You have been served these papers and you can call the number on the front page here for more information should you require it."

Jim took the envelope and nodded to the man, "Thank you."

The man nodded then turned around, heading back to his police cruiser. Jim grumbled as he closed the door, resisting the urge to crumble up the envelope without even opening it, but he knew he couldn't. Whatever it was at least he hadn't been arrested. It crossed his foggy mind that if he was going to go down that way he could at least have the pleasure of getting one last chance to beat that spoiled brat within an inch of his life.

'_Who the hell does he think he is anyway? Trying to take away my rights as a father like this? I'll show that little bastard that I own his ass, all right. After I get through with him he won't be able to sit for a week, if he's even able to breathe long enough to heal from the ass whooping I've got in store for him, that is.'_

Anger boiled inside the cold-hearted man and he went to the kitchen to get himself another beer. He'd need to get another twelve-pack later, but for the moment he was all right with having eight left. He'd had to call in to work because his back was hurting something fierce. Lately it had been giving him trouble, but he was not the kind of man to ever go to a doctor no matter what was wrong with him so the thought of going to seeing one never entered his mind.

After he had cracked open a fresh beer, he sat at the kitchen table, tearing open the envelope. His eyes narrowed as he read over the demands that he appear in court next week. There was no way he would give his son the satisfaction of seeing him in a courtroom. If the sniveling pain in the ass wanted to be on his own then so be it. It would be one less problem for him to worry about and he'd be freed from the responsibility of raising that blasted kid. Besides, the boy was seventeen. When he had been seventeen, he'd left home to make his own way in the world, but he doubted Joey had what it took to do the same.

'_He won't be gone a month before he comes crawling back home, but then he'll get a shock when I won't let him in or even talk to him. Let him find out how cold the world is, like I did. Stupid brat, he'll regret doing this, I'll see to it that he does.'_

Jim took a swig from the cold beer and then put the papers back in the envelope, tossing it carelessly onto the table near the other mail he had received, which consisted mostly of bills and store flyers. He groaned as sharp twinges of pain shot through his lower back, and it felt like he was being knifed from behind. Cursing loudly, Jim stood up and, taking his beer with him, went to the living room to lay in his recliner. He hoped that would help his back relax, but the pain in his back increased. Gripping the beer can in his right hand, Jim tilted it back greedily guzzled down a long draw of the amber colored alcohol.

Fatigue caught up with the older blonde man as he stretched out, trying to keep his thoughts from straying to his life and his resentment of everyone in it. He slammed through five more cans before he passed out for the afternoon; it wasn't until after dark that he ventured out for a walk to dull his senses. It pissed him off terribly to miss days at work, but he'd pulled his back or so he thought and wrote the pain off as. As strange as it was to be alone, the older man didn't feel as good about it as he'd thought he would. He'd always placed a lot of blame onto his son's shoulders about the shortcomings of his life.

Odds were though that he'd spend the rest of his life denying his role in forcing away everyone who had ever loved him. The silence in the Wheeler home since Joey had fled it deafened the drunken man, yet he still held to his stupor. Seeming to think, however arrogantly, that if he succeeded in breaking his son's spirit he would feel avenged for all the pain he felt when his wife had left, taking his daughter with her, leaving the brat here with him to take care of. That Joey had gone behind his back to win that money to pay for Serenity's eye operation really infuriated Jim. If anyone should ever do that for her it was him, and even if he tried to deny it, the cold harsh reality was that he held it against Joey that he'd been able to do something Jim himself could not by saving her eyesight.

-o-

Joey fussed with his shirts, trying to decide what to wear. There was a knock on his door and Duke called out to him. Joey opened the door and greeted him warmly. Duke looked over to the bed where Joey had several different shirts spread over top of it. He blushed, wearing just his faded jeans and sneakers, he felt a bit embarrassed with his chest exposed.

"So Joey are you having trouble finding something to wear? I have a shirt I think would look perfect on you. I'll be right back," Duke winked and left Joey standing there.

'_I wonder what he has in mind. I sure hope I don't disappoint Mai tonight. I am almost free from Dad now so there isn't any reason to hold back my feelings for her anymore,'_ Joey thought to himself.

Duke appeared a few moments later with a red short sleeved shirt and a pair of black wristbands. Joey grinned as Duke handed them to him.

"Wow Duke that is a cool shirt, but I don't know, I don't usually wear red. Now red is great on you, so tell me does it look bad on me?" Joey asked his dark haired friend as he put the shirt on.

"Oh yeah Joey. Look in the mirror, it looks really good on you. Go ahead and borrow it for you date tonight. I don't mind," Duke said giving Joey a thumb up.

"Thanks Duke. Maybe I can wear red after all," Joey laughed.

Next he put on the wristbands, then finally his silver dog tag that was inscribed with his old address and phone number. It reminded him that he should order a new one with this address and his new phone number so that if something happened to him he wouldn't have to deal with his father. Once he gained his freedom legally, that would be one of the first things he'd do. Duke walked Joey to the front doors of the Black Crown and held the door open for him.

"Have a good time."

"You bet, don't work too hard man. I don't know when I'll be back but I got my keys with me so don't worry. So I'll see you later Duke."

"I won't. See you Joey." Duke laughed as he shut the door.

Mai was smiling as she looked Joey's lithe figure from head to toe several times and he was glad Duke had loaned him the red shirt. From her reaction he was sure she thought he looked nice, which made him happy. He reached for the door handle and opened the door.

"You look fantastic, Mai! Do you think I am underdressed? I can change if you want…"

"You look great, Joey, so don't worry about it. Let's get going, eh?" Mai batted her eyes at her young companion as he got in her car.

Joey grinned and closed the door, looking up to Duke through the glass doors, waving back to him Joey waved a final farewell to his friend as Mai put the car in drive. Mai had a CD playing and Joey took the time to admire her outfit. He had always admired her taste in clothes and tonight she had on a black leather halter top and matching leather miniskirt with knee high laced black boots. She also wore a red vest, and as she drove them back to her apartment she smiled over at him.

"So, handsome, mind heading back to my place and sharing the take out I ordered that should arrive in ten minutes?"

Joey choked feeling his face flush, "Uh, sure. That sounds great if you really didn't want to go out at all."

She chuckled, "Joey are you blushing?"

Joey's face was quite scarlet and the shade only darkened as he avoided her gaze. He felt her hand touch his and guide it to her right thigh. He turned to look at her, taking her features in as she removed her hand, putting it back onto the steering wheel. Her perfume hung inside the air of the car and he enjoyed the fragrance. He gently squeezed her leg and blushed again as he looked down before slowly removing his hand. Her hand snapped down to prevent the escape of his so he laughed nervously as she entwined her fingers into his.

"You don't have to take your hand off my leg, Joey, I put it there for a reason. I got you something today when I was shopping. I hope you'll like it, but you'll have to wait until we get to my place before you get it."

He laughed again, "You mean you wearing all that leather wasn't what you got me when shopping today?"

She squeezed his hand roughly, using more force then he'd have given her credit to being able to exert with her right hand, "Watch it, you. I've had this outfit for awhile. What I made for myself and finished you'll have to wait for too, so just relax and enjoy the torture, RedEyes."

Joey groaned, "Whatever you say Mai. You're the one driving."

"Yes I am, so just let your mind wonder what it could be on both counts. Then again we may have more then just a couple of pleasant surprises tonight, eh, Joey?"

"You driving me crazy is surprise enough for me. You didn't have to go to any trouble for me, Mai. I just wanted to be with you tonight. That's all."

Mai nodded and pulled into her apartment complex. The young woman and Joey didn't notice the black sedan sitting in a spot a few rows away from the place Mai parked her car. They went inside holding hands and the driver of the dark car snickered in the near darkness. His dashboard camera was making sure his boss could see what was going on and that he'd been correct yet again in predicting the whereabouts of the young duelists. Even so, he took out a cell phone to report in their arrival.

-o-

Joey sat next to Mai on her couch, their dinner long gone. The two were snuggled together watching a movie on television. As a commercial came on, Mai got up and went to her bedroom. She winked at Joey as he moved to allow her up and he blushed at her retreating figure. She chuckled, thinking about how sweet it was that he could blush so easily.

She closed her door behind her and lifted the black leather top off over her shoulders, then she tugged the button open and pulling the zipper down on her leather skirt. Quickly she reached for the light blue tights, thigh high boots and the rest of her costume then sat on her bed. She had everything on in no time and then reached for a feathery boa that she wrapped around her shoulders along with the finishing piece of her outfit that she'd gotten earlier to finish off the look of her ensemble.

Mai took a moment to freshen her make up before she left her room with the lights off behind her. Joey didn't look up, too fearful of what she possibly would appear in and from behind her back she pulled the prop, a leather whip, which she cracked loudly against the floor. Joey's head snapped around towards her bedroom and his eyes were wide. If the young blonde hadn't looked so startled, Mai might just have laughed, instead, she just licked her lips and cracked the whip again. Joey stood up and started towards her slowly, smiling giddily as he took in her outfit.

"Damn that is hot! You look drop dead gorgeous in that Harpy Lady getup. I had a feeling that was what you'd made and I whole heartedly approve. But I don't think I'd want you to wear it out anywhere. Then again, I have a feeling that this was your way to initiate another kind of challenge, wasn't it, RoseWhip?"

Mai nodded and met him across the room, "May I have this dance, my lady?" Joey asked, imitating a perfect gentleman.

Mai nodded and wrapped her whip loosely around his neck, pulling his face close to hers whispering, "I thought you'd never ask."

She backed Joey into the living room, where she sought more then just the remote that she used to turn on the stereo, turning off the television.

She pushed him down onto the couch and straddled his lap, easing her lips to his painfully slowly to taste their first kiss. Joey closed his eyes as their lips touched softly, leaning his head back against the leather whip in her hands. He moved his hands to her waist, then he reached up her back, her hair tickling his fingers. Her lips parted, deepening their kiss, and she positioned herself against him. His lips pressed lightly against hers at first, just touching, feeling them against his for the very first time.

She gasped from the contact of his tongue as it gently traced the outline of her lips, teasing hers to come out and play. She shivered from the almost electric energy that flew all throughout her body, totally helpless to hold back from expressing her feelings to him physically. Joey moved his tongue between her lips slowly as hers came out to meet it, softly, yet firmly curling against his, waves of longing and heated desire possessing them both. Just when Mai thought she was about to pass out Joey pulled back, but because of actually having gotten quite inflamed from their first kiss she could still feel the echo of him on her lips as she gasped for breath. They stayed in the living room for awhile before Mai turned off the stereo and led him into her room.

-o-

Yugi sat at home in his bedroom, wondering what Joey was up to and how his date with Mai was going when Yami appeared next to him in his ethereal form. Yugi smiled at the former pharaoh and nodded to him.

"Hi, Yami. Is something up?"

'_No, nothing is up, I just felt you were thinking about Joey and I wondered if you needed to talk,'_ Yami offered.

"Well, maybe that would be a good thing. I'm just wondering if him and Mai belong together or not, you know? Remember that movie star guy that had proposed to her? I always thought she'd dueled him to try to get out of refusing the proposal for honest reasons. Like her feelings about Joey."

Yami nodded and crossed his arms, thoughtfully considering his response.

'_It does seem that she has been drawn to him for a long time. Remember when we fought with Kaiba against the big five the first time and Mai was there?'_

Yugi nodded and Yami went on_, 'Well, I have always thought that there was the potential for more between them then just friendship. After all, Yugi, during Battle City it became clearly obvious how deep his feelings for her ran.'_

"Yes, that's true. I guess I just hope things get better for him. This crap with his father has been really scary just for me as his friend, I'd hate to think of having to console him after his first heartbreak which is what finding happiness with her and losing it would be to him no doubt." Yugi sighed sadly and Yami reached over to put a semi-transparent arm around his shoulders.

'_Don't worry, Yugi. They knew what they were getting into. I have faith in Mai and Joey both that they won't hurt one another; they've known each other for a long time and I think that there is someone out there for everyone. If they're lucky, they are for one another. If not, then at least they took the chance to find out,'_ Yami smiled wistfully as he looked out the window, hoping his words comforted Yugi somewhat.

"You're right, Yami. I know you are. Well, I should probably be getting to bed. I have to help grandpa in the morning. Thanks for coming out to talk. I feel a lot better now."

Yami nodded and retreated back into his soul room in the puzzle. He then said a silent prayer for the safety and good fortune of his friends. He felt Yugi yawn and get into bed as he got settled in his chambers to meditate for the duration of the evening. If Joey needed their help they would do whatever they had to for him because they were friends no matter what.

Extra Author's notes: There is a part B to chapter 8 that I wrote but cannot post on If you would like to read the lemon supplemental that I created you can request it through email at the needs replaced with the 'at' symbol of course, so if you email me make sure you put Dog Days 8B in the subject line and I will reply with the extra chapter. It doesn't add anything crucial to the plot of course, but I want to keep the rating on this story at PG-13. Thanks to all who've been reading and reviewing. I should update again soon.


	12. Behind Closed Doors

Author Note: I do not own Yugioh or any of the characters from the show. I hope you enjoy this story and I look forward to seeing what people think of it. If you like it please R&R. I don't expect this to be a long story like my other two Yugioh fics, but I think it will be a fun ride as it moves along. Just a warning; this story will contain spoilers for Battle City and possibly the Noah's Virtual World saga. This fic has been beta read by Minor Arcana; a big thank you to her for all her help and advice on the story.

Additional Author Note Chapter Specific: this is of course a completely fictional situation and in no way meant to represent what seeking this kind of legal emancipation is like for a person. I created it to the best of my knowledge to be realistic and believable and I hope that you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. I'll say this though, we haven't seen the last of Jim Wheeler, so hang in there while I continue with the story bit by bit. This was a longer then normal chapter, but I think something that needs to be done 'right' deserves to have that given to creating it, such as a hearing scene as you will see here:'Behind Closed Doors'I look forward to your reviews on this long and detailed chapter.

Dog Days Chapter Twelve: Behind Closed Doors

o-

It was late Sunday before Joey made his way back to the Black Crown. He had stayed at Mai's all weekend and they hadn't left her apartment from the time they'd arrived Friday evening until Sunday afternoon, when she hadtaken him back to Duke's. If he hadn't have had school the next day, Joey would have wanted to stay. He headed upstairs to get a change of clothes and ran into Duke in the hallway.

"Hey Duke, what's up?"

Joey grinned at Duke, who laughed, "Hey yourself, Joey! I knew you wouldn't be home until today. I guess your _date_ went well."

"Yeah, it sure did. I'll get that shirt washed and back to you when I do laundry later. I think Mai liked it," Joey winked and chuckled.

"I bet she did! So are you going to spill details freely or do I have to bribe you about it?"

Duke reached up, began twirling a lock of his hair and smirked at Joey.

"Oh no, I don't kiss and tell. Sorry, Duke. I can't be bribed or tortured into it. Not going to happen."

Duke gestured towards the kitchen area, "Are you sure about that? I've got half of a pizza from last night in the fridge…"

Joey's eyes widened and he licked his lips, "Damn, Duke; pizza is one weakness I do have! Ok, let's go chow down and I'll toss you a couple bones, sound fair enough?"

Duke let go of his hair and nodded, and then he led the way into the kitchen with Joey right on his heels.

o-

Two days passed smoothly as the day arrived for Joey's hearing to grant his petition. Duke and Joey had both called in sick to school so that they could go to the hearing. Joey was extremely nervous about the idea of going to court and seeing his father there.

The two teens walked into the courthouse and Joey took out the paper he'd gotten in the mail that was a copy of what his father had been served last week. After double checking the paper, go through a metal.

The female deputy that was there with a security guard eyed the two teens from her vantage point behind the x-ray machine. Joey went first, emptying his pockets into a gray plastic tray that went through the machine as he walked through the metal detector. It beeped loudly and the security guard came over and ran a wand over Joey. It beeped near his chest.

"Sir, do you have any metal in that shirt anywhere?" asked the somber man, who towered above Joey by at least six inches.

"No sir, I don't think so. Oh, wait a second. I'm sorry; I forgot to take off my necklace."

Joey grinned sheepishly as he reached under his shirt and lifted the dog tag from around his neck and handed it to the guard. Then he waited while the man used the wand again. This time it was silent.

"It's fine, go on through."

Joey nodded and walked over to retrieve his belongings from the tray at the end of the x-ray machine. He waited for Duke to get through the process and then the two teens headed towards courtroom "C" where Family Court was held. Joey went up to a man holding a clipboard and asked him if he was in the right place, showing him the copy of the papers he'd brought with him. The man nodded and noted on the clipboard that Joey Wheeler had arrived. He told him that his friend wouldn't be allowed in when he was called to go before the judge because they held closed hearings when it involved minors. He would have to wait outside until he was called upon to offer his statement to the judge.

"Don't worry about it, Joey. It's not like I have anywhere else to go. Besides, take a look at that blonde over there. I think I can easily find _something_ to distract myself." Duke winked and Joey smirked as they sat down on one of the numerous benches to wait.

o-

Jim Wheeler looked at the papers he'd been given, telling him where to appear for the hearing. As he walked towards courtroom "C", he glared back at the Deputy and guard who'd searched his person for weapons before admitting him into the lobby. He had a real problem with people who had legal authority over regular citizens and he folded the papers before putting them into his coat pocket. The brown suit he had on was very uncomfortable; the collar irritated the skin on his neck, creating a bothersome distraction.

'_Damn! It pisses me off that these people think they are above everyone else. What kind of fool would bring a gun to a courthouse anyway?'_

Jim muttered under his breath as he turned a corner and saw Joey sitting on a bench with his friend. He rolled his eyes and headed over to a man holding a clipboard near the entrance to courtroom "C" as he removed the papers from his pocket. Jim held them in his right hand and asked the man if he was in the right place, even though he was sure he was. He was told that he was and to sit down and wait until they were called upon. So Jim nodded and turned around. He did not make any eye contact with Joey as he walked towards a nearby bench that three women were sitting on. One had a baby in a stroller in front of her and he sat down a foot away from her.

'_God, I can't wait to get out of here!'_ Jim thought bitterly, anger beginning to churn in his stomach at being forced to come to court.

o-

All the color drained from Joey's face as his eyes locked onto the tall figure of his father. He tried to tear his gaze off him but he couldn't. He could see rage in the way his father stood there, the summon papers in his clenched hand. Joey was all too familiar with his father's body language and shivered, thinking of what would happen if his petition weren't granted. Finally, able to look away from his father, Joey recognized a woman who was making her way over to the man with the clipboard. It was a social worker that'd come to visit him in school, to talk about what the school psychologist had reported as possible child abuse.

'_Oh my god! What is **she** doing here? If Dad sees her and she gets up to talk he will flip out! I just know he'll think I had something to do with her being here. Damn what should I do?'_

Joey felt trapped; his father went to sit down on an empty bench just as the woman began to speak in a low voice to the man holding the clipboard. The man went into the courtroom, closing the doors behind him. A few moments later he reappeared and called Joey and his father's names, saying that it was time for them to go before the judge.

Slowly Joey stood, not wanting to face this, but he knew he had no choice if he ever wanted to move on with his life. He looked at his feet, which felt like balls of lead, as he walked over to the courtroom, hearing the sound ofhis father following behind him.

A man wearing a finely tailored suit gestured to Joey to join him. Joeyhimself saw the female social worker at the table next to him and forced a weak smile onto his face. He didn't look to his left, too afraid that his father would be staring at him. He didn't want to break down in front of all these people but the idea of talking about his life was terrifying. Everyone stood, waiting for the judge to call the hearing to order; the tension in the air was immense and though Joey wouldn't look at him, he was sure his father was seething at having to be here.

A door opened to the side of the courtroom and a female judge walked in. Her black robes billowed out behind her as she moved to take her place behind the bar. The bailiff announced that the private hearing would come to order, and then the court reporter stated Joey's name and the reason for the hearing, which was to rule on the petition Joey had filed for emancipation.

Joey swallowed hard at the lump in his throat and looked up at the judge whose expression was solemn and unreadable. Her hair was on her head in a tightly wound bun; only a white collar protruded from beneath her robe and Joey couldn't stop from shaking.

"You may all sit down. As to the matter of Joseph Wheeler's petition to gain emancipation from his father's custody we will hear from the Petitioner first. Mr. Anderson, do you have a witness to call?"

The man stood and the social worker rose as well, "Yes, your honor; I do. Ms. Winters; a social worker who met the petitioner at his high school earlier this semester."

Joey watched in silence as the social worker moved to sit in the witness stand and was then sworn in. After that, Mr. Anderson moved over towards her, glancing over at Jim and the man who sat next to him that Joey assumed was his lawyer. Joey quickly tore his eyes from that side of the room and made himself look only at the table in front of him as the lawyer began questioning his witness.

"Please state your name and occupation for the record, Ms. Winters."

"My name is Victoria Winters and I am a state social worker."

Mr. Anderson then moved onto his important questions now that the formalities were out of the way, "Can you tell the court how you came to be involved with Joseph's Wheeler and in what capacity you've been called here today?"

The woman nodded, "Yes, I was called by the school psychologist at Domino High earlier this year about a suspected child abuse case that involved Joseph Wheeler. The psychologist spoke with me at length about his suspicions and it was agreed that I meet with him during school hours to see if there needed to be some investigation into the matter."

"And did that meeting take place, Ms. Winters?"

"Yes it did. OnFebruary 18th of this year, I met with the psychologist and Joseph during his lunch hour."

Joey wanted to crawl under the table and curl up into a ball; just hearing about this meeting being discussed made him feel extremely uncomfortable. If his petition failed, he knew his father would make him pay dearly for hiding the meeting from him and for even trying to break free from his control.

"Can you tell us what happened during that meeting and what you observed of Joseph's behavior and physical state?"

"Yes sir. The psychologist had talked about seeing bruises on his face and arms, as well the bruises on his legs that the gym teacher had reported to him. When Joseph came in we'd already finished out discussion so I had a good idea of what I was looking for."

"And what was that?"

"I was trying to see if he fit the profile for an abused child. Despite being a teenager, abused children often exhibit certain behaviors that people trained to detect them can perceive. Thatis if they are looking for them. I was also going to see how he reacted to questions about his family life."

"What did you make of his situation when you met with him that afternoon?"

"Well, when the psychologist dropped a book and Joseph didn't expect it, he jumped and was visibly shaken. That's one of the tests that we use to determine if a child has been abused over a long period of time. He also exhibited notable discomfort when the subject of his home life was brought up."

"In what way did he seem uncomfortable Ms. Winters?"

The tall thin man at the other table stood and spoke before she could answer, "I object your honor. This witness is not a psychologist and her subjective interpretation of this boy's state of mind really isn't relevant…"

The judge quickly held up a hand to silence the other lawyer, "Mr. Cole, I am well aware that in a open case this kind of evidence might be subject to higher scrutiny. But this is a hearing regarding this minor's petition and I am going to allow the witness to answer. Please, Ms. Winters, answer the question."

"Yes your honor. He seemed to have no self-confidence whatsoever and didn't feel able to talk about his relationship with his father. That tells me that there was at least psychological abuse in the home. As to whether or not physical abuse existed..."

"Your honor, I object!"

"Mr. Cole, please don't make me tell you again that this is a hearing in closed court. Therefore I am going to hear the testimony of the witness. Mr. Anderson called her in to question her regarding this minor child's state of mind and wellbeing in relation to his petition. Because a social worker called in to a school to look into possible abuse of a child, it is well within the bounds of this hearing to hear what she has to say on the matter."

Joey gasped at the annoyed tone of voice the judge used when chastising the man who was the only one on his father's side of the room.

'_Damn! She doesn't play around. I'm lucky she seems to be on my side so far. God, I hope I don't have to go into details over Dad hurting me. I don't want him to go to jail or anything,' _Joey thought to himself, as the woman began to answer the last question Mr. Anderson had asked.

"He seemed disturbed that someone thought he might be being abused. Most children, despite being abused, still feel protective over the parent who is abusing them. And this seemed to be the case with Joseph in that he refused to reveal any details of how he sustained the injuries that had been reported to me. The stories he did give us struck me as made up cover stories." The woman sighed and Joey looked over, meeting her eyes.

'_God, she feels sorry for me! I could see it then and I sure as hell see it now. Thank god Duke isn't in here to hear all this. I doubt I could face him if he was here.' _Joey's face reddened as he tried to hide the embarrassment he felt over the details of his life being so openly talked about.

"Thank you, Ms. Winters. That's all the questions I have for you."

Mr. Anderson returned to sit next to Joey, giving the young man a confident smile as he did so. Joey grinned up at the older man and then looked over at the man defending his father's rights as he got up to move towards the witness stand.

Clearing his throat, he then asked the social worker, "Is it true, Ms. Winters, that a child last month who was supposed to be under your protective authority was placed in foster care. And then that he _died_ in that foster home from the unreported abuse of that foster family?"

Mr. Anderson didn't need to interject because the judge did so for him, her angry tone of voice _meant to_ warning the man that he was treading on thin ice.

"Mr. Cole, you are out of order! One more inappropriate question or comment from you and I will hold you in contempt of court. Do you understand me?"

The man nodded and the judge went on to instruct the witness, "Ms. Winters, you will disregard that question. Mr. Cole, if you have anything that applies to this case and this minor's petition for emancipation then please proceed."

"Yes, your honor. I apologize to you and this court. I do have one question I feel applies here, if I may be allowedto ask the witness."

The judge waved a hand and her stern expression was crystal clear that she was not about to allow this witness to be badgered, "Now then, Ms. Winters, isn't it true that in some cases where a minor child applies for emancipation it is with the intent of revenge against their parents?"

The judge rolled her eyes and waved her hand again, nodding when Ms. Winters looked up to her to see if she was required to answer this question. She then nodded to Mr. Cole, who grinned as he said, "Ms. Winters, the court reporter cannot hear a nod. Are you saying that it does indeed happen that minor children sometimes make up false allegations to get revenge upon their parents, and that could be true in this case?"

"Your honor, I object! This has no bearing on this petitioner's case…"

"Agreed. Ms. Winter, there is no need to answer this rephrased question. If that is all you have, Mr. Cole, then this witness is excused."

Mr. Cole's expression soured and he nodded, already moving to sit back down next to Jim. The judge then excused the social worker and she was let out of the courtroom. Mr. Anderson whispered to Joey that he was going to call him next, and to just tell the truth as best as he could and things would be fine. Joey nodded and took a deep breath as his lawyer stood from his seat.

"I call the petitioner to the stand, Joseph Wheeler."

Joey stood and moved to the witness stand, avoiding his father's menacing gaze as he sat down on the hard wooden chair. Joey raised his right hand and swore to tell the truth, then he looked up at the judge, whose expression had softened as she smiled down at him and nodded. Then Mr. Anderson began with his first question.

"Joseph, can you tell the court why you seek to become an emancipated minor free from the custody of your father?"

Swallowing hard, Joey answered, "Uh, because I am close to being eighteen and feel I can make it on my own without having to be a burden to my father anymore."

Mr. Anderson frowned, "Surely there is more to it then that? You stated in your petition that you felt your father was under a great deal of stress and that you were afraid of what he might do to you, isn't that right?"

Joey nodded, "Y-yes, sir."

"Isn't it true that he has hit you and hurt you for quite some time?"

Joey flinched at his father's annoyed sigh over this question but he knew if he were to get his petition granted he had to face this head on. Running wouldn't help him now.

"Yes, sir. Ever since my parents divorced he had a hard time and his drinking got worse and worse. I don't think he really is aware of how badly he treats me at times, but I can't go on living in fear any longer," Joey looked at his father, whose angry expression gave way to surprise.

"So he drinks a lot, you'd say? Would you say that he is an alcoholic?"

Again Joey nodded, "Yes, sir, I would."

"So it's when he's been drinking that he loses control and hits you?"

"Sometimes, yes. He wasn't always like that though. He used to…"

"Thank you, Joseph. We understand you love your father and don't want him to get in trouble, but the fact remains he _has_ abused you, hasn't he? To a point that people in your school have seen the evidence of that abuse and shown concern over it?"

Joey nodded and looked down at his feet, "Yes, sir."

"This is my final question. Joseph, I know this hasn't been easy for you so I thank you for your honesty and applaud your courage. Now, if you would please tell the court where you've been living for the past week and what you would do if the court were to grant your petition today?"

"Thank you, sir. I have been living with a friend from school who is financially stable and offered me a room in his place as well as a job to help me cover my expenses. If I were to be granted emancipation today I would continue to live there with him and work in his gaming store until I graduate. After that I'll be eighteen and plan on going to college."

"Thank you. Joseph. You're a brave young man, and no matter what the court's decision is here today I wish you the best of luck with whatever you do after you graduate," Mr. Anderson came over and stood beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

He squeezed gently before he nodded to the judge and moved to retake his seat.

"Mr. Cole, do you have any questions for this witness?" asked the judge, her expression stern and cold once again as she looked down at the man defending Joey's father.

Nodding, Mr. Cole stood up and smoothed his coat before he cleared his throat, preparing to speak, "I'm sure this is difficult for you, Joseph, but I have to ask some tough questions in order to fulfill my responsibility to _your_ father."

Joey nodded, though looking at this tall dark haired man in his shallow pretense of sympathy made him want to throw up on his black leather shoes.

"Now then, let's start with this. Do you _love_ your father, Joseph?"

Joey rolled his eyes at the sarcastic tone of voice the question was asked in, "What kind of question is that? Of course I love him! He's my dad for god's sake!"

The judge glared at Mr. Cole and Joey tried to calm down his fury as he asked his next question, "It's a fair question, young man. You've put forth some vague allegations that my client has been abusing you and I needed to have you answer that before I went any further. So then is it fair to say you sometimes have disagreements with him?"

Again, Joey wanted to vomit on this insincere man who thought to cloud the issues in front of the judge with emotional baggage.

"Sure, we disagree sometimes, but that isn't why I filed a petition…"

"So your answer is yes. Fine. Mr. Wheeler, would you say that your relationship with your father isn't very good, especially since you came home from that tournament for that game…What is it again? Dungeon _Fighters_?"

Joey grit his teeth, "It's _Duel_ Monsters and that has nothing to do with why I am here _sir,_" Joey's voice tossed the sarcasm back at the lawyer who chuckled.

"Oh, I do think it's relevant. And here's why. You didn't ask your father for permission to _go_ to that tournament _did_ you?"

"I object, your honor. This has no bearing on Joseph's petition," Mr. Anderson stood up and Joey looked to the judge.

"Agreed. Find another question that relates to this petition, Mr. Cole, or you're done questioning this witness."

"Yes, your honor. However, I would like to pursue this avenue of questioning to establish a motive for why this petition was _really _filed against my client, if I may."

"Then by all means proceed but do so cautiously. If you fail to establish this alleged motive you're referring to, your questioning will come to a halt."

"Thank you your honor. Now, Joseph, would you please answer the question if you had your father's permission to go to this tournament?"

"You know, if he had been _home_ during the two days when I was preparing to go I'd have been able to ask him, but he didn't come home and I had to go."

"You _had_ to go? Why was that, Joseph?"

"Because I wanted to win to get the money to save my little sister's eyesight. She was going blind and there was no hope of getting the money for her surgery by _any_ other means. That's why I _had_ to go."

"So you just went without even leaving a note?"

"No I left him a letter right on the refrigerator where I knew he'd find it. I would have tried to find him, but when he doesn't come home for more then two days it usually means he's staying at some woman's house and doesn't want me to find him."

Joey glared at the lawyer for a few seconds and then he moved his gaze to meet his father, who looked very smug until he saw how angry his son was. Then his expression hardened into one Joey knew very well; one that said he was going to get it, **it** being a severe beating. Joey then looked over to Mr. Anderson, surprised this other lawyer hadn't objected to what he'd stated.

"I see. So, you're saying you didn't know when he would be back and that he did this kind of thing regularly?"

"Yes. That is what I am saying, _sir._"

"All right, I think we understand that. So when you returned was he happy you'd gotten the money for your sister's surgery?"

"I didn't get any feeling from him about it. He didn't react at all. He just asked me to get another beer for him, if I remember right."

"I move to strike that last comment from the record, your honor."

"Denied. You opened the door Mr. Cole; it's too late to close it."

"All right, then let me end with this final question. Would you say your relationship with your father wasn't one of mutual respect then, Joseph?"

"No sir, I wouldn't, and it hurts that it isn't but I can't go on like things were anymore. He's hurt me and will continue hurting me if my petition is not granted today, as I am in fear of my life just sitting here this morning."

"No further questions, your honor."

Mr. Cole moved to sit down next to Joey's dad and Joey averted his gaze as he left the witness stand to sit back down in his chair beside Mr. Anderson. He leaned over and whispered, asking if Duke was outside, and Joey nodded.

"I have one final witness to call your honor, if it pleases the court."

She nodded, "Please proceed, Mr. Anderson."

"Thank you your honor. I call Mr. Devlin to the stand. He is outside of the courtroom and has some relevant statements to enter into the record regarding Joseph's petition and future plans."

"Bailiff? Please call for the witness and let him into the courtroom."

o-

"Please state your name and relationship to the petitioner, Joseph Wheeler, for the record."

"Duke Devlin. I'm a friend of Joey's and we go to school together."

Mr. Anderson smiled, "So, Mr. Devlin, do you know what you're here for?"

"Yes, sir. To show my support for my friend and to tell the court how he has been living with me and works with me in my gaming shop."

"Thank you, Mr. Devlin. Do you know what this hearing is about?"

"Yes sir, I was there when Joey filed his petition. He is seeking to become emancipated from his father's control because of abuse going on in the home."

"I object, your honor. This witness has no direct knowledge of any alleged abuse occurring in the Wheeler household."

The judge shook her head, "Objection overruled; I will hear what this witness has to say, Mr. Cole. You will have a chance to cross-examine him once his direct testimony is concluded. Please proceed, Mr. Anderson."

"Thank you, your honor. Mr. Devlin, can you elaborate on what makes you think that there was abuse going on in Joseph's home?"

"Yes, sir. A couple of weeks ago, Joey came to school looking really beat up. His face was all swollen and he had numerous bruises all over his body."

"And you know this from seeing it firsthand?"

"Yes, sir. We have gym at the same time so I saw his back and the rest of him when we were changing for gym class. It was terrible, and as his friend I couldn't just let it go on without trying to help him in some way. I knew I could give him a job in my shop and that he could move in with me and not have to live in that kind of situation any longer."

"So, you were worried about your friend's welfare if he continued to live with his father?"

Duke nodded, frowning as he looked up at the judge, "Yes sir, I did. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't take action right then and he ended up in the hospital, or worse."

"Thank you, Mr. Devlin; that's all the questions I have for you," Mr. Anderson smiled at the dark haired young man before turning to go sit back down beside Joey.

Mr. Cole stood up and cleared his throat before beginning his cross-examination, "So, Mr. Devlin, you claim to be a _friend_ of Joseph's?"

Duke frowned, already afraid of where this was leading, but knew he would have to address it in order to help his friend, "Yes sir, I am."

"Then could you please explain to the court how you behaved when you first came to Domino city and challenged Joseph to a duel?"

"You have it wrong, sir. Joey challenged me to a duel and I don't see how it has anything to do with my becoming his friend."

"I don't either, Mr. Cole. Get to the point of this line of questioning quickly or else this witness shall be excused and I will make my ruling on the petition."

"Yes, your honor. I am trying to show this young man's motives for befriending my client's son and his behavior as being reckless and uncaring about Joseph's wellbeing."

The judge waved her hand and looked at Joey's father with cold hard eyes.

"So you faced him in a duel, then in this game he went off to play without his father's permission?"

"Objection, your honor!"

"Objection sustained. Mr. Cole, I don't want to have to warn you again that your behavior here is anything but ethical. Now stick to the facts and scope of this witness's bearing on this case."

"Yes, your honor. I'll rephrase the question. So you faced this young man in a duel. What were the stakes in this game you played?"

"It was for him to do whatever I wanted for a week or for me to do what he wanted."

Joey sighed, _'Where did this guy get all this stuff on us, I wonder?'_

"So, then, he wanted you to do what if he won?"

"He'd said he wanted me to close my shop."

"So then, when you won, what were your demands of him?"

"That he wear a dog suit and be my dog for a week."

"Ah, so this is how you went about befriending this young man then? By humiliating him publicly?" The lawyer made no effort to hide his amusement at these facts coming to light.

"No, sir. I didn't know him that well. We became friends after things resolved between us, when I faced his best friend in a duel to end his debt of wearing the dog suit."

"Ah, I see, so this is the same friend that gave him the prize money for his sister's surgery, then? The King of Games, I think he is referred to as?"

"Yes," Duke was trying hard to maintain his cool but he wanted to deck this guy in the worst way for being so sarcastic about something important.

"I see. So, you plan on supporting this young man and having him live with you until you both graduate?"

"I plan on having him stay with me as long as he wants to and he is welcome to work in my shop for as long as he desires. It pays more then his other job and I know he enjoys working with me there. I don't have to support him as he is supporting himself with his salary and has plenty of money to take care of himself with."

"Ah, well then, I have nothing further. Thank you, _Mr._ Devlin," Mr. Cole replied, his voice still sarcastic as he turned away to move back to the table Jim was sitting quietly at.

"You may be excused, Mr. Devlin. Thank you for coming," said the judge, smiling at the young man as he stood to exit the courtroom.

"Hang in there, Joey, I'll be right outside," he whispered as he walked by on his way out.

"Do you have any other witnesses to call, Mr. Anderson?"

"No, your honor," he answered politely before looking over to the other table where Mr. Cole was still standing.

"Do you have any witnesses to call, Mr. Cole?"

"Yes your honor; I call James Wheeler to the stand."

Joey gasped and gripped his knees with his hands as he watched his father get into the witness stand to be sworn in.

After he'd sat down and swore to tell the truth, Mr. Cole began, "Please state your name and relationship to the petitioner for the record."

"James Wheeler. I'm Joseph's father."

"Mr. Wheeler, do you think your son is capable of taking care of himself in the current setting he is living in with Mr. Devlin?"

"I don't think two teenage boys are able to be responsible and keep up with their schoolwork left unattended; no sir, I don't."

"Would you say your son exhibits a pattern of defiant disregard for your authority?"

"Yes sir, I would."

"If the court grants his petition, do you think it would be in his best interests?"

"No sir, I do not. I'm his father and I have raised him just fine."

"Thank you, Mr. Wheeler. That's all I needed to ask."

Mr. Cole glared at Mr. Anderson as he moved to sit down and observe the cross-examination about to ensue.

"I will get right to the point, Mr. Wheeler. Isn't it true you have a drinking problem and that you get physically violent towards your son when you've been drinking?"

"No sir, I don't have a drinking problem and I do not get violent towards my son when I have had a few beers after work."

"So you'd like the court to believe that the other witnesses who've all testified that you've been abusive towards this young man are lying?"

"I don't know what they were doing, but no one knows what goes on between my son and I but Joseph and myself."

"I see. So, then you _were_ home when Joseph wanted to go to that tournament to win that prize money to save your daughter's eyesight?"

"No sir, I wasn't. I was at an educational seminar _relating_ to my job."

"So you didn't tell your son what you were doing or where you'd be and yet you consider this _responsible_ parenting?" Mr. Anderson didn't hide his anger towards Jim in the slightest, and one look at the judge told Joey she echoed his sentiment.

"I told him it's his own fault he can't remember or call the number I had left him. I wasn't irresponsible. Not at all."

"Oh, so then you have a letter or note you'd like to enter as evidence to prove you'd left a note to tell him where to reach you?"

"Uh, no sir; I didn't think to bring it."

"You didn't think to bring it. I see. So, how do you explain the bruises your son came to school with over a period of months leading up to this petition being filed?"

"I can't explain them. He gets in fights all the time, I don't know where he got beat up at or by who. I have a job and I can't be there all the time."

"So, you're saying you had nothing to do with him getting beat up?"

"No sir, I didn't."

"I see. So you're the only one we should believe here and everyone else is deluded and lying. I have nothing further. Thank you, your honor."

Mr. Anderson swiftly retook his seat and the judge told Jim he could step down now, as she was ready to make her ruling.

"In light of the evidence shown today, I am prepared to grant Joseph's petition and further order Mr. Wheeler to have no contact with his son without the supervision of an agent of the court. I wish you the best, Joey. Stick with what you've been doing, living with Mr. Devlin, keep your grades up and rise above all of this. You're a good kid and deserve to be able to live without fear. I grant your petition and hereby grant you the power to make your own decisions about your life. The clerk will have your paperwork ready for you before you leave." The judge smiled at Joey and he nodded, returning the warm smile, relief written plainly on his face.

"And Mr. Wheeler; you're very lucky to not be standing before me in a criminal case of child abuse. If you were, you'd be going straight to jail for what you've done. Keep your distance from this young man and leave him alone. You have not shown me any reason to deny him the rights he deserves and in my opinion are a classic example of an abusive alcoholic parent who has no right to have custody over a minor child. I hereby order you to get professional help for your drinking problem, and until such a time as you are sober and stable you will have no unsupervised contact with your son. This matter is now closed and this hearing is over."

Jim stood and glared at Joey as he left the courtroom without so much as saying one word to his lawyer. Joey stared back at him coldly and for the first time in his life he didn't fear this man who'd been so hard and brutal with him. He walked over to the clerk, waiting for her to finish up with the paperwork she was working on. She told him he would have to carry it with him all the time to prove that there was a standing court order to keep his father away from him and giving him the legal rights to make his own decisions. For the first time in his life, Joey felt truly free and it felt _good_. He knew he and Duke would not go back to school today, but he was relieved that he wouldn't ever have to ever go back there with bruises inflicted by his coldhearted father. It was indeed a good day and he felt confident that his life was truly turning around.


	13. Freedom

Author Note: I do not own Yugioh or any of the characters from the show. I hope you enjoy this story and I look forward to seeing what people think of it. If you like it please R&R. I don't expect this to be a long story like my other two Yugioh fics, but I think it will be a fun ride as it moves along. Just a warning; this story will contain spoilers for Battle City and possibly the Noah's Virtual World saga. This fic has been beta read by Minor Arcana; a big thank you to her for all her help and advice on the story.

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed the story and I appreciate all your comments, even if I didn't answer you directly here I wanted to thank you **all** for taking time to review the story. I do hope that you are going to enjoy the remainder of the story as it is posted. I don't know how many chapters are left as a whole, but I think that it is shaping up to be a really good story and your reviews are the fuel to keep me writing. I am so grateful to have them to look back on to help inspire me and also to Minor Arcana for all her help and advice on the story. It is so wonderful to create something that people enjoy and now without further delay, on with the fic!

Dog Days Chapter Thirteen: Freedom

o-

After leaving the courthouse, Joey and Duke headed out to Domino Mall. They were going to go do a little shopping as because Joey had a big weekend coming up with Mai, and so Duke had insisted upon getting him some new threads, as he put it. The radio was up, but not so loud that the two couldn't talk. Duke had put the top down so the wind was ruffling their hair. He liked to drive with the top down and Joey enjoyed the rush of air around him. It was an exhilarating feeling.

He looked back at how hard it had been to look at his father and wondered what he would do now. There hadn't been any fight from him outright and everyone involved from the court didn't know what kind of man his father was, or how vengeful he could be. Standing there, defiantly reaching for freedom as he had, was definitely the most empowering thing he could do in his life to make things easier.

'_I sure am lucky to have Duke, Mai, Yugi and the others. Dad doesn't have anyone, but that's really his own fault for not wanting to make friends or try to make an effort to make his family happy when he had the chance.'_

"So where are we off to first, Joey?" Duke asked, glancing briefly at the blonde teen.

"Eh, whatever. You decide, man. I'm in no hurry to go anywhere."

"Oh yeah? Well let's go to the leather shop. If you don't mind, I want to get a pair of boots and thought getting you a pair would be my way of saying how proud I am of you for standing up for yourself like you did. That was really something, man."

"Aw, Duke, it's me who be showing you gratitude. You've done so much for me. I didn't really expect that weasel guy that was defending Dad to go after us like he did. That really took me by surprise, but you; you knew it might come out, didn't you, Duke?" Joey asked, looking over to see Duke make a turn onto the road that led to the mall's parking lot.

"It was nothing, Joey. After what the Big 5 and Noah put us all through, I've learnt to anticipate trouble and prepare for it. It was no secret about our duel, or mine with Yugi. I am surprised he didn't go on about the Battle City Tournament though, you know?"

Joey murmured, "Mm hmm, me too."

Duke put the top up and skillfully parked his car. He smiled at Joey before opening his door to get out. Joey had the passenger door open and then stood, exiting the car. Slowly the two teens walked up to the mall entrance and talked quietly, neither seeming to notice the black sedan that drove around to find a parking spot. They were already inside when a man wearing a tan sports jacket, a ball cap and blue jeans made eye contact with the driver of the black sedan before following the two friends inside.

o-

It was close to lunchtime by the time that they got done in the leather store. They walked towards the food court where they would get something for lunch before going back out to get some blue jeans. Duke had gotten Joey a couple of leather wristbands and they had gotten black leather boots. Joey didn't think he'd wear them too much as they were really stiff and would take forever to break in. As they were deciding which place to go to next, Joey's cell phone rang. He reached to his back pocket and answered the buzzing phone.

"Hello?"

A soft feminine voice answered him back, "Hello, Joseph. How did it go? I couldn't wait any longer, I just have to know how it went."

"Hi, Mai. Things went fine. I got it and am at the mall. What's up?"

"Nothing now. I feel so much better. You did it Joey! You must be so proud to have gotten through this. I'm proud of you!"

Joey grinned, "Thanks, Mai. I couldn't have done any of this without you and Duke and the guys. It's good to know who your friends are."

Duke reached a hand up to Joey's back, squeezing his shoulder before he lowering his hand back to his own pants pocket.

"I didn't doubt for a second that any reasonable judge would have seen how you needed to be set free from all that. I don't want to keep you held up, Joey; call me later, ok?"

"Ok, and thanks, Mai. Thanks for everything. I'll talk to you later then. Bye."

"Bye," Mai said, after which she hung up.

"Things are really turning around for you, Joey. I had a feeling you had feelings for Mai back even before we were on the blimp. It was obvious to me that she only had eyes for you."

"You really think so Duke?" Joey asked, his expression one of wonder.

"Well, duh! Hello? Earth to Joey? What planet have you been living on?"

Duke nudged Joey lightheartedly in his ribs, making him laugh, "All right, so I'm just shy about it. It is nice, though, to have you to talk to. I hope you know how much I appreciate everything you've been doing for me. No matter what that jerk dug up about us, none of it is anything to be ashamed of."

"In fact I was known to tease Yugi way back when. I was a little prick towards him, goodness knows why. Looking back, it was probably jealousy that he didn't seem to have half the shit bad I did in life. Anyway, as ashamed as I am of all that, nothing compares to standing there after he defeated me and went on to beat Pegasus; he still gave me the prize money so Serenity could get her eye surgery. That's the power of true friendship and friendships will withstand a little rocky road."

"Speaking of rocky road, Joey, I have a sweet tooth today so save some room for ice cream."

Joey laughed and followed his friend to go wait in line for some sandwiches and chips. They talked as they ate and Joey couldn't stop from smiling. Yugi was his best friend, of that there was no doubt, and Tristan and he went back more years then he could count, but Duke was proving himself to be as a true of a friend as either of them. It was days like this that made Joey feel anything was truly possible within the realm of potential; dream itandmake it happen That was just how he felt right now.

o-

After they finished eating, they went out to shop some more; although neither young man would ever admit, even under pain of death, that they had enjoyed shopping together. Anyone who had cared enough to notice would have seen it evident in the smiles on their faces. All throughout their afternoon excursion they had been silently observed from a distance. Despite having noticed three different people acting suspicious, Duke was getting anxious to head back to the Black Crown.

Duke shook his head after spotting a forth man who was watching them from the level above, trying to look like he was just looking around once he'd noticed Duke staring at him.

'_Whoever is behind all this must have a reason for wanting to see what we're up to. I just hope I'm right and it's Kaiba and not something or someone much more insidious. That we definitely do _not_ need to deal with right now.'_

Right now, he wished he wasn't so aware of the peculiar onlookers he'd been spotting lately. There had been two at the courthouse when they left. As they headed into a department store to get some jeans, Duke wondered if they had listening equipment focused on them whenever they were out in public like this. Of course, in the courthouse it would've been close to impossible to get any such device into the building, but here in the mall or out in the parking lot of the Black Crown there would be no such problem.

Looking at his watch, Duke noted it was after two. School got out at three and he figured that Joey would probably want to see or at least talk to Yugi. Without even noticing, Duke nervously reached for a lock of his hair at his left temple, twirling it around his fingers as they went to the man's clothing department. Soon he'd put aside several pairs of jeans and some new accessories. It felt good to have someone to care about like this. For Duke, it was definitely a noticeable difference from the life he'd known before ever coming to Domino.

He'd been careless and haughty, so firm in his belief that Yugi was a cheater and that that was the only way someone as young and new to the scene could have beaten someone like Seto Kaiba, let alone Maximillion Pegasus. The whole thing had been a carefully orchestrated plan on his twisted father's urging. After Yugi had claimed the Duelist Kingdom Champion title and beaten his former idol, it had all become about taking that boy down.

He'd born a grudge against the Moutou family long before he or Yugi had been born. It went back over twenty-five years and wasn't a pretty story. Duke had somehow been able to forgive his father for all the abuse he'd endured during the final years he'd spent with him. But even though he'd forgiven him, he didn't feel he could ever trust or look up to the broken man again. He'd learned a lot about how hero worship is merely just misplaced energy; you get the power to defeat an enemy when you're fighting for more then just yourself. You've got to make out a plan, set it in motion and try to avoid any potential stumbling blocks along the way.

Now Duke found he admired people like Seto Kaiba and Joey Wheeler, though he knew if either of them were to hear that thought spoken aloud neither would admit that the other has admirable qualities about them that Duke had no problems seeing. Maybe in time he could open up to Joey about what he'd gone through.

As Duke handed Joey a leather choker studded necklace, he smiled innocently, preparing to deliver a small joke to focus him more in the present then allowing himself to get lost in thoughts of the past.

"I bet that fits you to a tee. I think it would look nice with that blue tank top. I bet Mai would like it on you with those acid washed jeans."

Joey scoffed the choker until Duke picked up another and then without even needing a mirror, Duke put it around his neck and snapped it into place. He then shook his head after spotting a forth man who was watching them from the level above, trying to look like he was just looking around.

"I'll get one too; what do you say?" Duke chuckled, watching Joey try to put the one on he'd handed him.

"Oh, what the hell! It looks cool on you," Joey said, snapping the choker into place.

"Cool! A new belt and a few bandanas and we're good to go."

"I'm right behind you, man."

Joey grinned as he navigated the racks of shirts and pants until they got to the area where they kept socks and hats. Joey rolled his eyes when Duke picked up a hat and tossed it over to him.

"What is this? It looks like one of those hats guys that drive cabs wear in the movies. It's kinda cool though,"

"I like this one in red. What do you think? Does it look better then the black and red one?" Duke switched to the second hat and Joey nodded.

"That one is better. This one's more my style. Of course, the hat and choker might be a little much in my case."

Duke laughed and left the hat on. As they passed the area where sunglasses were, Duke pulled Joey over and picked out a pair with small round black lens and took out a second pair for himself. After a look in one of the mirrors, they added them to their new acquisitions that they took to the checkout lane to pack up everything and get it all paid for. It was about fifteen to three when they made their way out to the car. Even though they had the sunglasses and hats on, Duke noticed the same people he'd seen before as they left.

'_I hope I'm not being paranoid, I'll have to run the videotape from home later and see what I notice from it. It might be time to talk to Seto about all of this, even if all it ends up doing is showing him that I am not stupid nor unobservant about people in my surroundings.'_

That thought reverberated within the raven haired young man all throughout the drive back to his haven; the black crown. It was the one place he was confident he could keep his friend safe from harm that would come of him had he been elsewhere. He drove home carefully, noticing one of the cars from the mall was following them, despite trying to appear otherwise, and Duke recognized the driver as one of the men he'd seen today at the courthouse parking lot.

There was no doubt in his mind that he would bring it up later with Seto to see his reaction to it. If he owned up to being the one behind the appearance of these unknown people being around the Black Crown and anywhere else he and Joey went, then Duke would thank him for his concern. He completely expected Seto Kaiba to deny it and say he'd had nothing to do with it. Still, Duke hoped that he could pick up on something, no matter how small, regarding his reaction that he could comfort himself with the knowledge that he'd been right.

o-

"Hey, Duke? I'm going to call Yugi and let him know how things went today. Do you need me for anything for the next hour or so?" Joey asked Duke, as he was at the entrance to his room.

"Nope, you go ahead and call Yugi and if you want to have Mai over or Yugi just go for it. I gotta put away all these new duds, so if you need me I am going to be in my room for a little while." Duke smiled and Joey nodded.

Parting ways, both teens entered their bedrooms, closing their doors behind them.

'_I need to go over the footage the camera caught for the past few days. I bet I'll see those same men at least once or twice. If I can get some notes down about what I see from the camera then I should be able to have something to confront Kaiba with later.'_

With that thought in mind, Duke went to boot up his computer, laying his bags of new clothes on the bed. After entering his password, he waited for the computer to finish loading as he sat down at his desk. Then he began the tedious task of combing over the footage that his system had recorded from the camera pointed down at the parking lot and front of the Black Crown. It wouldn't be easy, but Duke was determined to see a pattern to all these sightings of men who had been following his and Joey's every move.

o-

Joey put the bags on his dresser and reached for the phone on the nightstand next to his bed. He dialed up the number for Yugi's place and waited for someone to answer. On the third ring, Yugi's grandfather answered and Joey asked if Yugi was home yet. Solomon told him he was and that he'd get him for him, then he put the phone down and Joey chuckled upon hearing the old man call upstairs for his grandson to get the phone.

"Ok, thanks grandpa! Hi Joey! I missed you and Duke in school today. How did everything go this morning?"

"Hi, Yug! Yeah it all went over in my favor, thank god. I'm legally able to make my own choices with my life now. Oh man, you should have seen that judge! Yug, you would have flipped over at how she was acting to the guy defending my dad. It was hysterical, the way she bitched at him for trying to turn things around and spin it like everything was my fault somehow. Needless to say she didn't buy it."

Yugi laughed, "Oh wow! You won? That's great, Joey!"

"Yeah, it's pretty great that I don't have to live with all that anymore. It wasn't fun facing him today but I know I did the right thing. It does no good to try to help him; he doesn't want to be helped. But I did need help, so thank goodness Duke was there for me, you know?"

"Yup, I sure do. Duke really has been there for you and I'm so glad too. I knew he always liked you. I know you wouldn't have wanted to stay here with me and grandpa, but if I could have had you come here to live, Joey, I would have," Yugi's tone was solemn.

"I know Yugi; don't worry about it. That's part of why I hid this crap for so long. I didn't want to upset you with it all. And if your grandpa knew, well I would just be mortified if he found out."

"He won't, Joey, not unless you tell him. I'm just glad you did confide in me and that things are working out for you."

"Thanks, man. Hey, Yug? Did anyone suspect anything today when we both we absent?" Joey asked, concerned for what their friends might think.

"Nope, no one thought much about it, I just said I didn't know where you guys were. Thanks for calling, Joey. I was wondering how it went today."

"Yeah, I had to let you know, Yugi. I know how worried you've been over this. But it's all straight up from here on out now. Look, I'd better let you go. I know you've got homework and I should probably get a start on mine. Since I know what we were going to do in math and biology today I can get a head start on the make up work."

"Ok. Talk to you tomorrow, then?"

"Sure thing, Yug. See you in school."

"Bye," Yugi said, his voice cheerful and excited.

"Bye, Yugi."

Joey hung up the phone and went to the deck in his room. It wasn't just something he'd said to Yugi; he was going to get a leg up on the homework that had been assigned today. He felt really happy to be freed from the bondage he'd endured to his father, and doing homework like any other seventeen-year old kid was something he could now feel safe doing. It struck him that he might even upload the next chapter to his story that he'd finished up last night. That would be the last thing he did before he went to sleep. Maybe he would even be able to see some reviews on his latest chapter before heading off to school in the morning.

o-

Jim reached into the fridge for his sixth beer to console himself over the ordeal of seeing Joey in court. He was seething over how that social worker had been in to see his brat and the little bastard hadn't said one word to him about it. On the one hand, the upside to this turn of events was that he no longer had to be responsible for the boy anymore. But the downside was that he was alone now. It was something Jim Wheeler hated. It was quiet in the little house, too quiet.

Cracking open the pop-top on the beer, Jim strolled out to the living room.

"I bet you come back trying to get back in here to make my life hell. I give it a week before you come crawling back to me," Jim muttered, as he sat down in his recliner.

He reached for the remote and turned on the television, putting on some talk show. There was a teenage mother of two on, who was getting paternity testing done on three different men. She was certain that one of them was the father of one of her kids and the other she was certain of being the father of her infant boy. The moaning man was ranting about how she'd lied to him.

Jim laughed evilly, silently agreeing with the pissed off young man that women were liars and manipulators. Looking at the ceiling, Jim thought back to when his wife and daughter had been with him. He remembered the arguing and the night he'd lost control and hit her. That night was when she had taken Serenity away with her and left that whiney brat in his care. Sighing, Jim rolled his eyes as he remembered her angry words that had provoked his wrath that night so long ago.

"_Jim, you are so selfish! How can you just sit there when I am trying to tell you that your daughter needs help? She isn't doing well in kindergarten and the teacher thinks she might have trouble seeing. For god's sake! Don't you care that she might need glasses?"_

"_Oh shut up, woman! I don't care what some damned teacher said. The girl is fine and the teacher is the one with the problem. My daughter doesn't need to go see some damned doctor to get glasses that will only result in her getting teased by the other kids. Use your head!" Jim shouted angrily, slamming his fist on the kitchen counter._

"_Shhhh! Jim, you're going to wake the kids! Lower your voice, will you; please?"_

"_Oh, so I will wake up the kids, eh? You come in here trying to get me to let you take her to some quack and let him put glasses on her just because some teacher said she might need them? You've got no brains in that head of yours!"_

"_Jim, please!"_

_  
_Jim closed his eyes, trying to forget what had come next. How he had yanked her by the wrists over to him and then backhanded her with the force he had built up with his anger. The guilt was heavy, but in the scheme of things it wasn't as bad as how he'd gone after Joey when he'd returned from that tournament with the money to save Serenity's eyesight.

His thoughts moved to that memory and he grimly remembered how his ex wife had refused to let him see their daughter when she'd been in town. Joey had gotten to see her plenty, but when Jim had gone to the hospital he had been turned away, told by the nurse that he wasn't allowed to see her because of the restraining order her mother had out against. Mind you, it was nice that he didn't have to put up with that bratty boy asking questions or trying to push him into letting him go somewhere on his own with those friends of his.

"I'm better off without you, you stupid bastard. You can rot in hell for all I care."

Jim let his mind go back to the talk show and laughed when the results of the testing they'd done showed that none of the three men were possible fathers of the girl's two kids. He laughed so hard that he got a sharp pain in his side. It was funny seeing how the 'mom' ran off stage to try to compose herself, yet the three men followed, as did the cameras. He was glad for the distraction as he polished off his sixth beer and prepared to get his next one.

o-

"Fine, keep me informed, Mr. Johnson," came the low voiced reply.

"Yes, sir. If anything happens we're on it."

"As I would expect you to be. If that's all, I have work to return to," Seto Kaiba answered, dismissing the man on the other end of the phone.

"Yes, Mr. Kaiba sir."

Seto hung up the phone and sat back in his leather chair, not at all surprised that things had gone in the mutt's favor. Joey had proven himself to be very resourceful when he needed to be and Seto smiled, thinking that now he was safe to try to go on with his life now that his father was out of it. An email came in just then and Seto went to open it. It was from Duke; he was asking to meet up with him and talk.

_This probably has nothing to do with the game we're collaborating on and everything to do with the people I have tailing those two. It's time to throw Duke a bone_, he thought, as he opened the instant-messaging program that would allow him and Duke to talk. _Even if it isn't the truth he is seeking, I think he will get the point._

As he waited for the program to log him in, Seto sat back and smiled.


	14. A Web Cam With Roses

Author Note: I do not own Yugioh or any of the characters from the show. I hope you enjoy this story and I look forward to seeing what people think of it. If you like it please R&R. I don't expect this to be a long story like my other two Yugioh fics, but I think it will be a fun ride as it moves along. Just a warning; this story will contain spoilers for Battle City and possibly the Noah's Virtual World saga. This fic has been beta read by Minor Arcana; a big thank you to her for all her help and advice on the story.

Dog Days Chapter Fourteen: A Web Cam With Roses

o-

Duke held his breath as he waited for a few moments, he wanted to let Kaiba message him first. He didn't like to just outright demand the young businessman's attention without just cause and if his hunch was correct he wanted him to know that his concern was appreciated. A window appeared with a message from the young CEO, which Duke hit yes to accept a video chat invitation from him. Then he looked up and smiled because there was Kaiba sitting at his desk at work, his face non-threatening, yet it was also plain that he was already prepared to answer Duke's questions. Much like he had felt today when questioned about how he'd come to befriend Joey.

"Hello Duke. I saw you weren't in school today. I do hope everything is ok and you're not ill."

Duke shook his head, "No nothing like that, I just had to help Joey with something important. So I need to talk to you about something Seto. I have been noticing some guys around my place here and they seem to appear where ever Joey and I go. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?"

Seto paused, then nodded, "Yes, I admit I have had some guards posted around your shop."

'_He admitted to it? I'm speechless!'_

"Did it go well today?" Seto hoped he didn't seem too eager, but his curiosity was peaked about the matter of Joey's petition to gain independence from his father's abusive custody.

"Uh, yeah actually. I think Joey took things really well because he was granted his petition. I was called upon to speak as a witness actually. Quite the nerve wracking experience, one I hope to never have to repeat," Duke sighed thinking back to how Joey had seemed so frightened and pale under the florescent lighting in the courtroom.

"I imagine that it was. It's good that's all behind you both now. I hope you don't mind if I continue with the guards. I don't want to see anything bad happen to you Duke. You are a bright person and one I have enjoyed doing business with."

"I don't mind at all Seto, thank you for the concern. I haven't told Joey and I hope you don't mind just keeping this between us? I think he's going through enough right now and the less he has to think about right now the better."

Seto nodded and then moved to rest his chin on his folded hands.

"I think it's best too. I'd like to take a moment to say that if you ever feel threatened you can call me Duke. Know that all right?" Seto made his expression stern yet his eyes were soft as if that was all the emotion he could allow to show even though he was making an uncharacteristic gesture of caring for another person besides his little brother.

"I'm glad you trust me enough to tell me I can do that if I need to. And you know you can count on me to not be one of those people who'd abuse such a trust. Thank you Seto."

Seto smirked and nodded again, "I have to commend you on being able to pick up on the guard detail I'd assigned to look over things and also for coming forward and confronting me directly. That took balls Duke. I admire that about you."

Duke laughed nervously, "Oh yeah, well I had a feeling that those guys worked for you once I began noticing them around. That was all I had to talk about though, I know you have other things needing your attention Seto, so I will let you go. Thanks for getting with me so quick. I saw a couple of different people out when we were at the mall and just in case it was something shady going on, without alerting Joey, I got us both sunglasses and hats."

"I saw, very colorful. Something you could get away with wearing, but I couldn't."

"Oh I don't know about that Seto. But it's probably more of an image thing I think. If you didn't have to head up one of the most influential corporations in the world I bet you'd display a wicked sense of style yourself," Duke winked at his web cam which made Seto's smirk deepen.

"Tell that to anyone else and not only will I deny it but I'll sue you for slander Devlin."

Seto smirked again at the young man who broke out laughing.

"Ok then, count on it staying between us. Can't have people doubting your corporate image now can we?"

"Definitely unacceptable yes. Will you be in school tomorrow then?" Seto asked, still smirking, his blue eyes shining even though he wouldn't let himself laugh Duke got the impression he was amused and flattered by what he'd said.

"Absolutely. I plan on working on homework tonight, but later I might be up working so if anything comes up and you want to talk I'll be here."

Seto nodded, "See you tomorrow then Duke. Goodnight."

"Ok, tomorrow then, goodnight Seto."

Duke sat there stunned for a few minutes after Seto had closed his end of the chat. It was just as he'd thought. Now he didn't feel he had to spend any more time worrying about the tapes. He'd keep the camera rolling though until things were definitely quiet. There was no telling if Joey's father might come looking for trouble and if Duke had his way he'd find it in the form of a police man and jail cell. He shivered remembering the cold hard glare he'd trained on Duke the entire time he was on the witness stand.

Shaking off the memory Duke got up and stretched, it was getting close to dinnertime so he went out to see about getting something for dinner. He'd already put the entire thing with the men outside watching out for them behind him and was thinking about having something delivered so he stopped by Joey's room and knocked. After a few moments Joey called out to him.

"Yeah, come on in Duke," came Joey's invitation from within his room.

"Hi Joey. Still working on homework for tomorrow?"

"Yeah, almost done with it though. What's up?" Joey turned to face Duke and smiled.

"I was just thinking about what to do for dinner. Feel like having some take out delivered?"

"Oh yeah that sounds great. I could really go for some veggie fried rice and sweet and sour chicken about now," Joey turned his chair towards his friend and stood up from it.

"I think I'll have that too. Let's go call it in."

Duke turned and led the way to the kitchen where they both sat at the table to look over a take out menu from the Chinese restaurant around the corner. He then picked up the portable phone that was sitting on the table and dialed the number. When someone answered Duke set up their delivery and Joey got up to get them both a root beer. By the time Duke had hung up Joey had handed him the cold can of soda and suggested going to watch something on television, so the two went into the living room to see what they could catch on television while they waited for their dinner to arrive.

o-

It was after eight when Joey went back to his room, intent on finishing up a chapter he had been working over for Mai. She had sent him back the chapter he'd finished working on last night and so he set to get it posted to be added to his story. He opened up a browser to the website he'd been using to post his story and then he logged into his account. Next he uploaded the final copy of the next chapter he'd written and then added it to the story. He'd been happy to get some more reviews on it and only two people had bothered to flame his work anymore.

He wasn't sure how many chapters were left, but he was enjoying writing it and that was what counted. Mai had showed him her stories and some had been rather racy carrying an 'R' rating for good reason. He had to admire her imagination and had been reading her chapters before she posted them as she had been for him. She called it beta reading and he had to admit it did help him to improve on his work. The things she spotted and suggested changes for he was always impressed by and went with every change she suggested.

He felt he hadn't been as helpful to her as she had to him, but she never said anything about it and did go with his suggestions most of the time. It was an interesting twist to their relationship, to be working on stories together. Of all the girls he'd ever dated, and there had only been three, she was by far the only one he'd ever really cared about. The others had been against his wishes, but he'd done it for Tristan. There had been three different occasions where Tristan had needed someone to go on a double date with him and that was how he'd gone out with these other girls. It had been over a year though since his last official date and he never once even kissed any of those girls.

Joey couldn't get Mai out of his mind so sitting at his computer he waited to see if she was going to log on, he so wanted to chat with her. He eyed the web cam Duke had gotten him, they had dropped one to a florist's shop to be delivered to Mai with a dozen roses along with a corny card saying he couldn't wait to see her with a pun on the web cam. His heart leapt in his chest seeing her coming online. He waited hoping she'd get situated and message him. This would be the first time they chatted with the web cams if she'd gotten hers set up yet. She'd had time so maybe.

"Hi Joey, I see you've got cam! Flip that bad boy on for me eh hun?"

He laughed and accepted the invitation to chat by voice using the headset he had along with turning on the web cam. It was already set on top of his monitor so he just turned it on and sent her the invitation to join him. He was pleasantly surprised seeing her face pop up in front of him. And so began their evening chat. One where they would talk about their plans for the weekend and how much they missed each other. Joey looked over to the window as it began to rain growing louder by the minute; he thought about how amazing it was just how much he had grown to need her presence. Lucky thing she needed him too.

o-

The smoky bar was filled wall to wall with various blue collar working men. Some there to avoid the duties waiting for them at home, others there to escape the pain of not having a real life to go home to. Jim Wheeler was already pissed at his co-worker Daniel. He was mouthing off about how great his kid was, the damned quarterback of Joey's high school for crying out loud. What ticked him off the most was how he'd so carelessly mentioned Joey and how he'd seen in the paper where he'd gone to court about Joey's petition to become emancipated.

"_What the hell are you talking about Dan? You saw what in the paper?" He'd asked angrily_

"_Yeah it said there were even allegations you'd been knocking him around too. Wouldn't surprise me with how stupid that boy of yours is. Always getting into trouble. Not like my Dan Jr. at all."_

He was still seething over the insult, not made at his son, but the insinuation that he had somehow overstepped his parental boundaries which _no son of a bitch_ had a right to **tell him** he had.

That kid might be stupid but he was still his kid. The years might have killed whatever affection he'd had for the little boy grown into such a defiant and difficult teenager but he still didn't like him being talked about like that. He was still fuming when Dan just stupidly added to the already smoldering fire.

"Hey Mark? Does Jim here kick your ass if you eat too many doughnuts during your coffee breaks?" Dan laughed, the alcohol obviously getting to his head, but Jim didn't care.

He jumped up and took a swing at Dan, "Why you little bastard!"

The other guys tried to stop Jim, but he got one good swing in missing Dan's face directly, and actually connected with his co-worker's shoulder before he'd been pulled off of the drunk. The bartender told him to hit the road and Jim angrily did just that. He didn't need to be here with these guys. Stupid jerks, thinking it was so easy when they had wives standing by them despite their own drinking problems. Why had Sandy left him like this? Why had she taken away the darling daughter he'd always wanted?

Jim still loved Sandy in his own twisted way even though he knew she'd gone on to see other men during the years since their divorce. He'd gone out a few times himself, but mostly it was one night stands and hookers he went to, to fulfill those needs. He had given up hope long ago of ever having things be right between him and Sandy, but part of him longed to hurt her back as deeply as her leaving him with that brat boy he loathed so much. He'd fantasized before about squeezing the life from her, imagined her expression as he drained the very life out of her, then even thought about what her dead lifeless corpse would be like when he kicked it like the garbage she'd treated him as.

It was starting to rain and it drew him out of his morbid fantasies as he cursed his luck. Jim could have walked home in it but odds were he'd miss more work on account of getting sick and he'd already lost enough time this month that he didn't think he could afford to stay home again even if he was getting sick. So he went to a phone and called for a cab to come get him. They said it would be about twenty minutes as they had a driver in his area that was just about to drop off his current fare in the vicinity. Jim thanked the woman on the phone and then hung up. He sighed and went to a covered bus stop to wait where he said he'd be.

As much as he didn't want to do any thinking that was all he could do it seemed. He remembered the day Joey had been born. How happy they'd been. Then reality had sunk in and it had gotten so hard to handle a crying infant that Jim had back then begun to drink more then just for recreational use. He'd begun drinking to escape the whining child that nothing seemed to be able to comfort. Sandy had said that the doctor told her that it was colic, but he thought it was just another bullshit excuse and that she was just a bad mother. He hadn't been shy about telling her so either when the subject had come up which was almost daily. It seems Joey was still in diapers when she'd announced they had another baby on the way expecting him to be as happy as she was about the impending arrival of their second child.

But all he had thought about was how damned hard he would have to work to make ends meet. He didn't have time to go to baby labor coaching classes or any of her doctor appointments, and always had the feeling she'd gotten pregnant again on purpose. He'd heard that some women got addicted to having a baby and all the attention they got when pregnant and just after giving birth. Even though he knew deep down that hadn't been the case with her, he couldn't agree with her that it was his fault for not having a vasectomy done if he didn't want any more children. Because he felt it was all her responsibility he had scoffed the idea anytime she'd been bold enough to bring it up.

It was after Serenity had her first birthday that he'd first hit Sandy. He had to stay clear of Joey because he was too tempted to toss the little bastard across the room when he refused to stop crying. Just when things had gotten better with the kids they had steadily grown worse between him and his wife. He'd accused her of sleeping with other men and had his suspicions that Serenity, no matter how much he loved her, wasn't really his biological daughter because of how different she looked compared to him, Joey or even Sandy herself. If that was the case then it for the best that she got a little of what she deserved.

A bus came and stopped but Jim being the only one there waved it off as it wouldn't be going the way he needed to go and besides, he didn't want to ride a bus half drunk when he needed to be home. He wished he hadn't agreed to go out with the guys, he'd had a feeling Dan wouldn't be able to keep his trap shut the damned fool. He just loved to spit venom all around him and didn't care who got hurt in the first place. Jim wished he'd gotten a solid punch in on the jerk's fat face. He was such a pig and anytime Jim saw Dan that was just what he thought of him, ever since they'd hired him on Dan was 'the pig' to Jim even if he never said it aloud to anyone at work.

He had more tact than that. Some people might think it was ok to run off at the mouth spending checks their asses couldn't cash, and he knew that was the case with Dan Parson. He was the kind of man to get an over inflated self-image at the drop of a hat. Just then the taxi appeared and Dan got up from the bench and huddled under his coat to get the door open before plopping in with a big grunt. He was soaked and would need to take a hot bath when he got home or else he would get sick for sure.

"Where to sir?"

Jim gave the young man his address and laid his head against the seat. Things were spinning around him and his back hurt. Again he wrote it off to being wet and not feeling good to begin with coupled with stress of having to face that son of a bitch in court and defend his fatherly honor. No Joey was the one who was wrong here. Dead wrong. When the taxi pulled up in front of Jim's house he paid the man and then got out, fumbling with his keys under the front porch. He was pissed he'd left the light off. If he'd known that when he got back to work after court that the guys would all want to go out he'd have left the bloody thing on, the electric bill be damned.

Finding the key finally, Jim set about putting it in and getting the door open. He was shivering and needed to get out of these clothes. With any luck Dan would be out sick tomorrow from either a hangover or from a cold he caught being out in this weather. Jim locked the door behind him and turned on some lights. He winced as he bent down to turn on the light by his recliner, his back was in fitful knots of pain centering near his waist. He set about getting some of his wet clothes off and getting a hot bath started. It didn't even cross his mind how close he'd come to having serious trouble with that co-worker. Nor did he give much thought to his back.

One of those grave mistakes that you might expect someone to regret at a later time. But Jim Wheeler wasn't your everyday sort of man. Memories of his own hard life with his own abusive parents came unbidden as he turned the water on for his bath. His mother had been addicted to pills and alcohol and had never stuck up for him when his father had gone on his drinking binges only to come home and beat the living hell out of Jim. It didn't matter if he had done something to deserve it. The man just liked seeing him in pain. Jim had to admit he liked seeing his own son taking his punishment and despite being freed from the little leech, he'd miss being able to inflict that kind of violence against the stuck up punk. He knew Joey thought he was better then his old man and it infuriated Jim no end.

Jim took off the rest of his clothes and hung them up to dry over the towel rack. He got into the tub and groaned as his back screamed at him for the movements. He sat in there enjoying the warmth as he felt it reaching deep down where he needed it most. That rain had chilled him to the bone and it seemed to have come out of nowhere. But that was the way things were this time of year. Showers could just pop up and the heat from the day gave the energy needed to pump out vast amounts of rainfall in record time. He let his mind just drift as he sunk beneath the surface getting his hair wet.

He went about washing himself and then added more hot water to the tub because he wasn't quite ready to get out. Jim hadn't had dinner, but he didn't care. Food was not always easy to keep down when you were drinking as much as he liked to. And as luck would have it he had plenty of beer left to drown his sorrows in after he was done in here. As he floated in the water he thought about the arrogant look Joey had shot him as he was leaving the courtroom today. As he went under the water again he thought about how much he'd wanted to punch that smile off his cocky face. But he was going to have to accept, it just wasn't worth going to jail for.

No even that bastard Dan Parson wasn't worth going to jail over, but had he gotten a few good slugs in he'd have gladly let them put on the cuffs just to laugh at the broken nose he'd surely have given him. He would try to go to work tomorrow, that was the best thing he could do at the moment. Focus on getting himself ready to go to work in the morning. As he got out of the tub and let the water drain out that was the only thought in his mind. Getting back to work to begin putting this whole ugly part of his life behind him.

Author notes: I am so sorry it's taking so long to get updates in on Dog Days, I will try harder to get the remaining chapters written and posted. Please keep in mind that this chapter has not been beta read yet and will most likely be replaced in the near future with minor changes suggested by my beta reader when her schedule clears enough that she can get to beta-ing my chapters again. I will be done with my Full Metal Alchemist fic shortly as it will probably only be 14 chapters including epilogue and once that is done for sure I can finish Dog Days and Lean On Me.

I hope you guys liked this chapter and I am dropping hints about what is to come. Hopefully chapter 15 won't take as long to write since I did a very detailed outline over the last weekend and spelled everything out from this chapter to the ending which I hope everyone will enjoy. Been a fun ride getting here to where our hero is free from the bondage of his horrible home life and able to spend precious time with the girl he loves? Hurray for Joey!

I wanted to give more insight into the family dynamic and named his mother Sandy-if anyone knows of her real name (I don't recall it ever being mentioned) I'd love to be accurate and would go back and edit to make it right. I am merely guessing at all of this, but to have a man as mean as Jim you have to understand how he got that way and appreciate the logic a person like Jim uses in their daily life. This was very much Jim's chapter, the next one will be more fun oriented with a touch of drama as you never know when good 'ole Jim will show up. Ku, ku, ku…Until next update, looking forward to your reviews, thank you all so much for the support of this story.


	15. Dangerous Encounter

Author Note: I do not own Yugioh or any of the characters from the show. I hope you enjoy this story and I look forward to seeing what people think of it. If you like it please R&R. I don't expect this to be a long story like my other two Yugioh fics, but I think it will be a fun ride as it moves along. Just a warning; this story will contain spoilers for Battle City and possibly the Noah's Virtual World saga. This fic has been beta read by Minor Arcana; a big thank you to her for all her help and advice on the story.

Dog Days Chapter Fifteen: Dangerous Encounter

o-

The next afternoon Joey and Yugi were in the parking lot after school while Duke was stuck, held up by some of his fangirls. They were waiting by his car just talking about school. The sun was out in full force and there was no breeze to speak of to offer relief from its unrelenting heat. Yugi was glad to have Joey back in school and they had spent lunch together talking, the whole gang was there and relished in Joey's triumph which he shared only because there was no way to get around the fact something had caused him to move in with Duke. Had he been able to hide that fact he'd have kept the news about his father secret from Tristan, Bakura and Tea.

Finally Duke was free from the girls who were all swooning from his promise to chat later tonight. He was quite a local celebrity. As much lately as Yugi was, but Joey knew that was due to his clever marketing skills and the fact he was working with Kaiba on a new game. His website was totally awesome and very interactive so his ability to relate directly to his fans was on a whole other level then Yugi could compete with. Not that the young duelist would want to. He hardly ever dueled anymore, unless it was for fun with Joey. But both duelists had their decks with them never the less. You never knew when a challenge would present itself and the game offer the only non-violent way out of a bad situation.

"Hey guys, you coming over Yugi?" Duke asked as he came over, his keys were out and he was heading for the door to unlock the car.

"Yeah Joey and I were going to head to the arcade after it cools off a bit."

Duke grinned and unlocked the doors, gesturing to his two friends to get in the car. Joey got in the front seat while Yugi got in back, but moved to the middle of the back seat and leaned forward so he could move between Duke and Joey. Duke started the car and Joey put on the radio, then they were off. Duke was a good driver and he put the air conditioner on because of the heat. It was just too hot to go with the top down. Of that all three young men were in agreement.

"So Joey, do you think you can beat my high score?" Yugi challenged.

"I don't know, but I sure am going to try. I don't know why you got a gift with games, but it's undeniable that you do Yug."

At that they laughed and Duke looked up at Yugi through the rearview mirror, "Feel like a pizza before you guys go?" We can get a couple delivered. I saw you both going over your decks during lunch. You may not be dueling but you love your decks like I love my dice."

Yugi nodded, "Yes I sure do. Weird huh? It's like each one represents something that really existed. At least that is what it seems like sometimes. I guess it's just Kaiba's holographic technology that makes them really come alive for people."

Joey agreed whole heartedly, "Definitely. I can't _not_ see them in my mind like the holograms. Got to respect him for making that happen, but I'd **never** tell him that. He's already too arrogant to stomach, if he knew I felt like that he'd be even more nauseating."

_I bet you'd tell him Joey. I bet you would if he ever gave you that same respect you've given him, even if you don't say anything. I think he knows you feel that way already though. He's not stupid and it's not hard to miss the incredulous looks his dueling technology earns the game._ Duke thought to himself as he stopped as a yellow light went red.

"Well he sure knows how to throw a duel tournament though. Gotta give him credit for that too," said the dark haired young man, while he watched cars going by in the intersection in front of them.

"I think you're right about that too Duke. Though I know he wouldn't appreciate hearing it from any of us, I think he knows somehow though and just doesn't want us to think he cares. But I think he does, I don't know when exactly it started, but I haven't felt hatred from him for a long time now."

Yugi looked out the window of the passenger side of the backseat as he waited for their responses if either young man had one. Next to Yugi in the backseat appeared his old friend, Yami. He was looking at Joey and then brought his gaze over to Yugi. When he spoke his lips didn't need to move, they knew each other's thoughts.

_--Yugi, you really think that don't you? I don't think he has hated except for perhaps after we defeated him in the Battle City Finals and his Blue Eyes was used against him by Joey. I know that incensed him as it always does.--_

_-Yes I **do** think that Yami. I don't think he hates any of us. Funny how he almost feels like a part of our group, even though he'd deny it; there's not denying that we've been through a lot with him and Mokuba.-_

_--Yes we have. I have an uneasy feeling Yugi. Something doesn't feel right. Be wary today please. Should something happen just let me take over, I can't explain it other then something has me on edge.--_

_-I can. You're still worrying about Joey and his dad aren't you? I have a feeling we won't be hearing from him anytime soon. Try not to worry Yami.-_

Yami nodded and disappeared back into the darkness within the puzzle yet left his mind on the surface watching; always watching to make sure his friends were safe. Though Yugi seemed to think the older man who Joey was freed from would not make any trouble for the young blonde, but Yami wasn't so sure. As the day had gone on this feeling had only gotten worse and Yami had learned the wisdom of his gut feelings; using them to prepare himself to spring into action at a moment's notice.

"So are you up to coming with us Duke? To the arcade I mean?" Asked Joey.

Duke shook his head, "I can't. I got some work to get done, but you two should go and have a good time."

Joey nodded and looked over at Yugi over his shoulder. He gave the young teen the thumbs up and then turned around facing the front again. Yugi was happy to be with his friend, Joey looked wonderful and he surely seemed to be doing well on his own with Duke. If only it lasts, Yugi knew that was the true test of happiness, if it lasts.

Duke pulled into the parking lot of the and then shut the car off when he'd parked it in his spot. Yugi chuckled and got out after Joey did. Duke was last out and he locked the doors before heading into the Black Crown. The two young duelists followed behind their friend and then went upstairs to the kitchen. Duke already had the cordless phone in his hand when he sat down at the big bench style table. Joey got them all cans of soda and then joined Yugi and Duke at the table.

Soon he left them to go downstairs and Joey asked Yugi go with him to the living room, where they waited watching television. It was just under an hour later when Duke appeared with two carry out pizza boxes and sat down in a chair near the couch Joey and Yugi were sitting on. Duke put down some paper plates and napkins, and sat back to dig into the piece of pizza he'd just whisked off the open supreme pizza. Joey took two slices from the same one while Yugi went for the one that was covered with vegetable toppings.

They ate in silence and when the two pizzas were all but gone Duke excused himself. He then went to his room and Joey was ready to get going. They took a can of soda with them and headed out to the arcade. Because they knew the town so well they knew how to get around, they took some back ways there. It was still light outside so they figured they had plenty of time before the arcade got very busy with older teens and they would have to leave or face possibly running into trouble. The arcade was starting to get a lot of kids as it was after dinnertime, but they were in several tight groups around different machines.

Joey and Yugi went to the pinball machines for a little while, dismayed there was a small gathering of kids at the video game they'd come to play. That was the trouble with the arcade, if you weren't the one with the next quarter sitting on the machine you were out of luck. It seemed that they weren't going to be able to get on the game but they had fun anyway. They played a shooting game and Yugi naturally won with his superior reflexes. Then they played some pool and it was starting to get busier around them so without saying a word the two teens gave each other a look and snuck out the back way where they'd meet the least resistance.

"Damn I really wanted to get on it today. I hate it when Dan and his groupies hog the good machines. Sorry Yug."

Joey apologized and then he led the way behind the building heading for the back way they'd come.

"Aw it doesn't matter Joey, I had fun anyway so don't-"

A man jumped out at them and to Joey's horror he realized it was his dad!

"D-dad?"

"So you get your freedom and this is what you do with it. Go out with your girlie friends and play kid games. How pathetically predictable."

Yami flared up in Yugi's mind and he swooned from the rapid switching of consciousness. He knew right away Yami was in a rage. This was what he'd sensed earlier that Yugi hadn't. It was almost too much to believe that Mr. Wheeler would jump out at them like this. Did he always talk to Joey like that? So patronizing and cruel?

"How dare you jump out at us like that!" Yami growled.

Jim looked over at him with surprise and then he smirked dismissively at the spikey haired teen, obviously not seeing a threat in Yami that Joey had no doubt he saw was there. He had moments to try to diffuse this situation before it exploded.

"What the hell do you want Dad? Get out of my face with your bull crap."

Jim looked at his son with such a smug look that Joey clenched his fists he was so angry.

"You think you got what it takes girlie boy? Huh? You wanna take on your old man in front of your little boyfriend?"

Then with great swiftness Jim threw a punch at his son, but the young blonde was prepared for it and caught the fist hurtling at his face, then he moved out of the way and roughly pushed Jim aside. He got a whiff of alcohol and wondered just how drunk he was to be out here like this. He could get himself in real trouble like this, but then he must be aware of that. Joey knew his father wasn't stupid just because he'd never gone to college.

"Dad, you need to get a life other then trying to hurt me. Your days of hurting me are over."

Joey moved to walk away and Yami was behind him yet watching. As he expected he tried to sucker punch Joey, so Yami grabbed his wrist and twisted it. Not hard enough to snap it, but hard enough to get the drunken man's attention through his hazy brain.

"You listen to me old man. You are setting yourself up for tremendous pain and suffering. Continue as you are addicted to alcohol and to hurting people, causing suffering and you will **surely** die a lonely and sad, pathetic death with no one to be there to care when you do. Be smart and do as your son has asked or else I won't hold back on you next time we meet."

Yami untwisted the hand and wrist then pushed Jim roughly, knocking him off balance. But Yami could see his words had hit home and that he was reeling from them as much as he was from the shove. Then Yami came up beside Joey and reached up to his arm, whispering to him that they had to leave now. He only had to gesture a few times to get Joey walking quickly. Had they been able to run without looking suspicious Yami would have told him to run. But walking fast proved to be enough and they thankfully didn't have another encounter with the elder Wheeler man.

Joey told Yugi he didn't want Duke to see him so shook up and they didn't go right back to the Black Crown.

"I just can't face him right now. I mean after all he's done to help me here I am feeling no better off then I was three weeks ago and it kills me Yug."

Yami let Yugi take back over and tried to comfort the young teen. He hadn't been able to hold back what he'd said. It was exactly as he'd seen it to. Sometimes when he was angry or upset he could see things and got flashes of things happening to other people. Like in this situation he saw Jim in horrible pain hooked up to some kind of pump thing. He had been able to keep the details of it from Yugi and he hadn't told Jim more then he needed to know. There was still time if he made changes now, but Yami had seen it would not come to be and it made the former pharaoh sad to know his friend had something painful ahead. It couldn't be helped.

"I know Joey. It's ok. We can sit here as long as you need. Don't worry about it. And if you don't mind my saying so? You **are** better off now then you were before you filed to become emancipated. I am really proud of you Joey. You're a wonderful person and I am proud to call you my best friend."

Yugi reached over and squeezed the blonde's shoulder as he'd spoken, wanting to reassure his friend that everything would be all right.

"Yeah I know you're right. It's just hard to handle seeing him like that again out of nowhere to just be facing that abuser and his bullshit. Yugi I was afraid he was going to try to hit you. I would have lost it if he did."

"Nah, he wouldn't do that, he'd end up in jail if he touched me and I am sure he knew it. It's you he thinks he can get away with hurting. You should just stay inside for a week, don't go to the arcade, maybe even call off your date with-"

"Are you insane? Call off my date with my gorgeous girlfriend? Sorry Yug, but think about it. No way in hell am I calling off ANYTHIING when it comes to Mai Valentine. Write that one down alongside me never turning down pizza because it ain't changing."

Though Joey was smiling Yugi was sure he was still shaken up, but they moved on this time finally going back to the shop. After sitting in the living room for awhile Duke had come out and offered to take Yugi in to school the next day which was fine with him. This way he got to be close to his friend when he needed him and tonight he was certain he would need him. So they got ready for bed, Joey lending Yugi some pajamas to sleep in, then they went back to the living room to call Yugi's grandfather and to watch some movie that was just coming on.

o-

_Why that fucking bastard…How dare he talk to me the way he did. I swear to god that bastard kid and his friends are such pricks._ Jim thought angrily to himself as he walked home.

It wasn't far to his house and he was soon inside, getting into the shower to wash the memory of seeing his son and that strange kid with the intense stare. But then at least he had shown some guts this time. He'd stood up to Jim and that was something Joey had never done before. In a twisted way it made Jim proud; almost like he'd succeeded in his job as a father by imparting the wisdom of defending yourself from oncoming attacks.

Rationally of course it was insane and the furthest thing from what fatherhood was all about, but to Jim Wheeler as he got out of the shower, wrapping a dingy brown towel around his slender hips, he could only think about his next beer. Getting out of the bathroom, he walked out to the kitchen. He'd gotten himself into the habit of keeping things clean because he hated bugs. Had a real phobia of them and it probably stemmed from his own childhood where he'd had them in bed with him at night sometimes.

It was a sick memory to him; one he loathed. Anything that reminded the man of his own past vulnerabilities was something that he could do without. He had always known his life would end badly, his own family had been broken apart early on, his mother took off and left him and a brother with their father. It had not been a good thing for the boys and looking back at it for a moment Jim felt a pang of regret that he hadn't been strong enough to overcome his upbringing and to make something of himself. To have been a good father in spite of not having had a good one, that used to be what he wanted most when he was growing up.

To be like anyone other then his father, the man was an alcoholic womanizer. He had different women all throughout the time that he'd been alive. He'd died ten years ago. Right after his wife left him ironically. He could have tried to get her to stay but he hadn't been able to come to terms with what that would mean. He couldn't make himself vulnerable to her, she'd hurt him in the past and he had a feeling that women were just that way. That was why he'd always done his womanizing away from home. He'd hoped that Joey might have the balls enough to bring a girl over during those times he was out but he doubted it.

He went to the kitchen and got a beer, then headed out to the living room. He turned on the television and sat down in his recliner, still wearing just the towel. He wanted to think about anything but how alone he felt. His life was so fucked up that he knew it was beyond repair. It just pissed him off that kid had the nerve to talk to him the way he did. Knowing what the prick had said was true didn't mean it helped him find a way out of the hole he'd dug for himself for thirty years. He knew in the end there'd be no escape for him; there was no escape for anyone, death comes for everyone equally and without concern.

You had to just live life and accept that your small role in it amounted to a drop in the ocean of reality. Jim took a long sip from his beer and closed his eyes. He deserved the backache he had all the time, he'd been such a bastard to his son. The truth was there, he knew it but he couldn't face it. It was too easy for him to zone out and ignore the world around him. He was soon lost in the movie that was on and just finished his beer. What else was there for him? As he sat there he couldn't answer that and gave up trying to.

o-

Joey sighed, "I don't know why he did that Yugi. I'm sorry I feel really sick. I don't know that I am going to go to school tomorrow."

Yugi moved over, rolling onto his side looking at Joey who was lying on his back, head resting on his hands.

"Come on Joey, forget it. It's ok, besides you've missed school this week already get that thought out of your mind because you're not sick," Yugi playfully kicked Joey's shin and the blonde closed his eyes.

"Come on man. I'm serious," he looked up miserably at the ceiling and then went on, "I am sick to my stomach from seeing him and if you keep moving I am going to have to run to the bathroom and throw up."

Yugi sighed, "Joey, I understand you feel that way emotionally, but you are stronger then him. You are a good person and maybe one day a long time ago he was a good person too, but he's changed. He's become clouded and convoluted by poison; alcohol is killing him Joey."

Joey nodded and sat up. He shrugged and then got up. He went to his desk and turned on his computer. He wanted to talk to Mai. Something in him needed to see her face and hear her sweet voice. It didn't matter that Yugi was there, he could be there and be quiet. That was the thing about Yugi. He understood Joey better then anyone except now perhaps Mai. Once he had it booted he got comfortable in the chair and opened his email up to see if she was online.

"I'm sorry Yugi, I need to talk to Mai. I can't think about him anymore. Thanks for staying around tonight. You're right, I shouldn't let him make me ill physically anymore. He can't hurt me unless I let him and wallowing in it all is _letting_ him win. Thanks man. I won't be long if she's even _on_ now."

Yugi lay on his back and smiled, "Don't worry about it Joey. I'm not going anywhere. That's what best friends do for each other. Be there when they are needed. I hope she's on. So are you ever going to tell me details about being with her or do I have to go on suffering in ignorance?"

Yugi rolled over to look at Joey who was blushing, this made Yugi laugh and he fell off the bed he was laughing so hard. Joey's blush deepened and he told Yugi to shut up.

"Come on man, shut up already, she's coming online to chat. She'll hear you stupid!"

Yugi stopped and looked up at the computer from the floor. He saw Mai's face appear in a window that showed a web cam stream, coming from her end of a chat that Joey was beginning now.

"Hi handsome, I was hoping you'd be on. I missed you."

"I miss you too Mai. You look hot as always."

Yugi covered his mouth and grabbed a pillow, he shoved it in front of his face to stifle his snickering.

Somehow Yugi managed to stay quiet for the ten minutes they talked and then Joey said goodbye to Mai. He'd smiled at her before shutting down the web cam and finally the computer. He got back into bed and sighed happily. He didn't want to kiss and tell, but he figured he'd toss a few facts to his friend.

"So, you ever kissed a girl before Yug?"

Yugi choked, "Uh, well not really. Not a real kiss no. Are you going to tell me about kissing Mai Joey?"

"You wanted to know right?"

Joey looked over at Yugi and waited until he nodded and went on.

"Well, it's incredible. You know how we used to think kissing with tongue was gross."

Yugi gaged, "Ugh, I don't think I want-"

"Aw shut up already, you know you asked, so anyway it's not gross. It's freaking incredible. You get chills from your toes to your hair. I kid you not man. I felt all kinds of things in my stomach the first few times we kissed and even now just thinking about what it feels like I got the weird butterflies and my knees are weak."

"Wow Joey. It's serious isn't it?"

"Yes, I'd never kissed anyone either Yugi. I'm glad I didn't because it was just so perfect with her. I don't regret anything that's happened between us. I just hope she doesn't"

"Oh please, she's _in_ _love_ with you Joey! Come on I heard her, she's thinking about you as much as you think about her. I think it's wonderful you two have each other."

Joey nodded. "Thanks Yug. Good night. Kick me if I snore too loud."

"Night Joey," whispered Yugi as he curled up on his side.

Joey thought about Yugi. He knew of his secret crush on Tea, but he didn't like to talk about it because he'd accepted that he'd never act upon any of those feelings out of fear of losing her friendship. As they sat there in silence for a few minutes Joey felt bad for Yugi. He hoped that Tea would show interest in him someday. He deserved to be happy and Joey would be there for him when he was and like Yugi was there for him when he was down, Joey would be there for him during those times too. After about twenty minutes Yugi was snoring softly and Joey turned over. He was asleep in no time dreaming about his date with Mai this weekend.


	16. Another Day Another Night

Author Note: I do not own Yugioh or any of the characters from the show. I hope you enjoy this story and I look forward to seeing what people think of it. If you like it please R&R. I don't expect this to be a long story like my other two Yugioh fics, but I think it will be a fun ride as it moves along. Just a warning; this story will contain spoilers for Battle City and possibly the Noah's Virtual World saga. This fic has been beta read by Minor Arcana; a big thank you to her for all her help and advice on the story.

Dog Days Chapter Sixteen: Another Day Another Night

o-

Joey got up and went through the motions of the day, but his head wasn't in any of it. He felt like everything wasn't real around him somehow. Like nothing since the nightmare of seeing his dad like that and even thinking about him hurting Yugi, something had snapped within the young duelist. He waited until lunch and then went out to the hallways and pulled out his cell phone. He had brought Serenity's cell number, having gotten her a phone to use to call him with he _should_ know the number. Now if only it was turned on and she could talk.

He needed to hear her voice, "Hello?" she answered after it rang twice.

"Hi little sister, how are you doing today?" Joey said brightly.

"Oh just fine Joey, thought it might be you. Not many people call me on this you know. Out of respect for you and for what it means to have a cell phone at my age. How are you doing big brother?"

Joey chuckled and leaned against a row of lockers, he was near one of the boy's bathrooms and as far as he knew he was safe from prying ears. Not that he worried much about it. He wasn't going to lay much on her, he just had to hear her voice to bring him back to reality. Even talking with Mai last night hadn't felt as real to him. He hated that too, that he hadn't really felt what he'd talked to Yugi about. He had felt it but not like he did before that encounter with his father. Somehow that had really shaken the young man to the core.

"Oh I'm fine, just sitting here after eating and wondering how you were. I'm really glad you liked the phone. You know I moved in with Duke at the Black Crown. You got my cell number and you know you can call anytime sis."

"I know Joey, I'm so glad you called. It's great you moved in with Duke. I think it's cool that you've got another really good friend like him. You're so lucky to have all your good friends. I really miss everyone. Maybe I can come for a weekend and stay with you and Duke?"

Joey laughed, "You read my mind Serenity. But I need a couple weeks to get into a routine, so maybe weekend after next. What would you say to that?"

"I'd say great! I hope Mom lets me."

"Aw she will Serenity. I'll talk to her if it comes to that. Anyway I don't want to make you late for class," Joey said softly.

"Oh I won't be. Thanks for calling Joey. I love you, bye!"

"Love you too sis, bye."

Joey folded the phone and sighed. He didn't realize there was a teen standing at the door of the bathroom, he was lost in his own thoughts as he headed back to the cafeteria to rejoin the gang at their table. It was going to be fun to have her over for a weekend but if Joey ended up telling his mother everything about what made him move out, then she might not let her come. He sighed again as he left the hallway, pushing open the big heavy door that led outside. Joey had his phone turned off and put away and when he sat back down at the table he smiled, but his heart wasn't into it.

o-

_Hmmm, so he hasn't told his sister about all that crap their dad was up to. I'm not surprised though, it's nothing I'd be proud of either and I did hide a lot of our adoptive father's abuse from Mokuba so I think I can understand his motives._ Thought Seto Kaiba.

He let the door to the bathroom shut and thought about it some more. He wondered why it was that brothers would bear such humiliation alone and choose to keep it hidden, why was it that sharking the pain a parent inflicted such a taboo subject for people? It was still on his mind as he was getting his books out of his locker for his next class, ironically enough, Psychology. Seto waited until the first bell rang before going to the classroom.

He saw Yugi and his friends coming out of the cafeteria and going towards their lockers, Joey and Yugi coming towards him while Tristan, Duke and Tea all went in the other direction to different classes. Only Joey and Yugi were in the same Psychology class. And with all that had gone on in the young blonde's life lately Seto had to admit he found himself looking at both his own past with more acutely trained vision. The same vision he used when thinking about what Joey Wheeler was going through and had been going through for some years now.

_I may not like Joey, but I do respect him for standing up for himself to his father's unjustified abusive behavior. I hope he does well with Duke. He just doesn't look like he is doing that well today. There is something I don't like about his eyes today. Like their empty; like he's not really all here. I wonder if something happened._

But as he would never allow anyone at school to know, he'd have to be satisfied to keep his curiosity a secret. If something bad did happen, he hoped Duke would trust him enough now to come to him if he felt they needed help. He didn't hate Joey Wheeler, he just didn't like the friendly puppy dog attitude he'd grown accustomed to seeing the young duelist with twenty-four seven. And having seen him for so long during the Battle City tournament he couldn't imagine what living with him for real must be like. Even for someone as outgoing as Duke was, Seto was certain he would grow tired of all the hyper outbursts the blonde was prone to having.

_Not that I help him any in that department. I just can't help but to tease him sometimes. He just seems to take things so lightly like everything is a game when sometimes it's really life or death. Like how upset he was after he'd come to his senses dueling Yugi like that on the dock out there in Domino Harbor. I didn't expect him to be affected like that. To be fair though he does not always act so irritating as he used to when we first met._

The teacher came in and the second bell rang, with Joey sitting next to Yugi and Seto over to the far right. He had a good view of the two friends and liked to look over at them from the corners of his vision so that no one knew what he was actually looking at. Not that people noticed him much anymore. Seto had made a real effort to fade into the woodwork here at school. He could have chosen to take a test and be done with it, but at times he wanted to feel like a normal teen again. Even if it was just by being around a bunch of his so called peers, to remind himself of why he enjoyed being one of the most powerful CEO's in the country.

As class came to order he opened his book to get to the pages they were working on and pulled out his notebook with last night's homework. To his surprise Joey had his and had the right answers when the teacher called upon him. He still seemed like he was in a daze, but at least he was doing his homework. Seto had a feeling part of the agreement of his emancipation was that he had to keep up good grades. But then it never took Seto long to do all his homework, though he could have paid someone to do it for him, he enjoyed the simplicity of doing it himself so that when he took tests, he aced them without breaking a mental sweat.

To Seto Kaiba it was all about appearances and action. Not just school, but in business too. You had to show you were powerful to be accepted as being truly powerful. He had respect because he'd earned it. Much in the same way he now found Joey was slowly earning his, just as Yugi too had been over the years. However Seto still trusted Yugi much more, he had to admit he was finding some humor in the story Joey was still writing on and he actually left him a nice only mildly sarcastic review on his last chapter. He looked over more directly at the two friends as one girl from that side of the room was reading from the text book and they were taking turns down the lines of desks.

Another fun filled afternoon of reading, and getting ninety percent of his homework out of the way before he ever left class.

o-

Later after Duke and Joey had gotten home Joey was up in his room and he called his mother's number. Somehow he just needed to talk to her to tell her some things that had been on his mind lately. He dialed the number and hoped she answered. On the fourth ring her pleasant voice greeted him and he smiled relieved.

"Hi Mom. It's Joey. How are you?"

"Oh, hello Joseph. Are you in some kind of trouble or something? Do you need money?"

Joey rolled his eyes and tried to be nice, "Mom, I didn't call to ask you for money or to whine about being in trouble. Good grief, I just wanted to talk. I been doing some thinking and some things have happened I wanted to talk to you about. That is if you care to."

When she didn't answer right away Joey was about to give in and say goodbye but then came her uneasy reply.

"All right. I'm sorry Joey, I just don't know what to say to you anymore. I haven't for a long time."

Joey sighed, "Look mom, I just wanted to tell you that I'm not angry at you. I understand why you left dad and I wanted you to know that. That I understand and am glad Serenity didn't have to put up with all the crap he's been putting me through."

"Oh? He isn't hitting you is he?"

Her voice told him she knew the answer, but he chose to tell the truth in spite of it.

"Yes, and I moved out a week ago. I got emancipated Mom. I'm not dependant on him for anything anymore. I have a job and a great room mate. A guy I go to school with who owns his own gaming store. Not Yugi though."

"Oh Joey, I had no idea it had gotten so bad. I'm sorry he just can't be the father you deserve."

His mother was about to cry and Joey could tell from her voice, "Mom, don't cry. I did what I had to do just like you did. I just wanted to thank you for saving Serenity this heartache. Listen I called also because I want to have Serenity over weekend after next to stay in one of the extra rooms here. You can meet Duke when we come to get Serenity ok?"

He hoped the change of direction of the conversation would help ease her grief, because she might be in the middle of making dinner for all he knew and he didn't want her being upset. He'd called to try to ease her mind and lift her heart.

"Sure honey. That will be fine. I'll mark it on the calender so I don't forget."

"Great. It's good to hear your voice Mom. Listen take this number down so you have it just in case ok?"

"Ok Joey, I have a pen," she said, her voice sounding much steadier now.

"Ok, this is the main game shop number so you can ask for Duke or me. It's 555-6555."

She read it back to him and he confirmed it, then she thanked him for calling.

"I'm glad you called Joey. Did you want to talk to your sister?"

"No that's ok, I called to talk to you and I haven't told her why I moved out and don't expect to so please keep it between us ok? I called her earlier today so don't be surprised if she mentions this coming over for the weekend thing. I love you Mom."

"I understand son. I love you too Joey. Good bye."

"Good bye mom."

Joey hung up the phone and sighed. He'd done the right thing, he knew he had even if it had upset her it had to be done. And like that conversation he had to get some homework out of the way. Now that he'd talked to his mom he was motivated to get his homework done so he could chat with Mai later. She was probably writing right now. She did a lot of writing in the evening after dinner. Just thinking about her made him smile.

o-

"I said, it's a real shame your son is just a loser Jim. He'll never amount to shit in this life you know. Just like his old man."

Jim had bitten back his anger long enough. The fact that he'd let himself get talked into another night out with the guys from work was bad enough, but having to listen to that idiot running his mouth on top of things? He just couldn't do it. Jim got up from his chair and clenched his fists. Daniel would pay this time and no one would stop him.

"Take that back you asshole. Take it back right now or get ready to eat those words!"

He pulled back his fist and waited, giving his drunken co-worker a few moments to react. But his smirk made Jim lose it so he let loose, pummeling the man repeatedly until three of the guys they'd come with pulled him off the half-conscious bloody mess that was once a sarcastic prick. The bartender called the police and before Jim knew it he had cold steel handcuffs on his wrists and was on his way to jail. He didn't give a shit, he had nothing left to live for anyway. He probably wouldn't have decked Dan so badly had what he said not been true.

That was something his mother used to say to him, about how the truth hurts. He hated how she'd been so uncaring as to abandon him and his brother as she had, but there was nothing to be done about it now. All he could do is go along for the ride he was getting now. In a police car with his hands behind his back he didn't regret hitting Dan, he regretted that he'd put himself in the position to be around the jerk to begin with. He would need to have some dental work done and if Jim had to cough up the cash to pay for it he would, knowing the pain the son of a bitch was in now made it worth while.

o-

_-Yami? Are you there?-_

_--Yes Yugi. Is everything all right?--_

_-Well I noticed Joey didn't seem right at school today. Did you notice anything?-_

_--Yes, he did seem somewhat preoccupied. I don't know yugi I think last night really shook him up. I think he was afraid he might see you get hurt. I'm sorry I didn't give him the chance, but I couldn't risk him hurting you or Joey.-- _

_-I know, but I was scared. I thought for sure he was going to hit Joey.-_

_--I was able to prevent it so don't worry Yugi. Is that what you think was bothering Joey? That this might happen again and be the first of several harassing encounters with his father?--_

_-Yes, that's just what I am afraid of.-_

Yugi sighed and lay down in his bed, getting under the covers, Yami had come out of the puzzle and was standing ethereally near Yugi's mirror. His body language was definitely a reflection of the worry his lighter half was feeling. It bothered him to think that Yugi could be right, what if this was the first of many times that Joey's father got around him and threw him off balance. Such a thing could not be allowed to happen and Yami meditated on it as he thought of what to say to Yugi.

When nothing came to him and he saw Jim in jail again, dying in jail he couldn't think that Jim would be in any position to bother Joey again. If his prediction was right, he was going to be incarcerated very soon. Most likely before the week was over if not tonight. Yami got the feeling that the danger was past and it had been just the one rough encounter that Joey had to deal with. But until such a time as they heard for sure Joey's father was in jail, it would be in the back of his mind and the minds of his friends, Yugi and Joey both.

Yami soon retreated back into the puzzle once Yugi was sleeping and he let his mind drift, for some reason Kaiba came to his thoughts and the former pharaoh thought about the way Kaiba had seemed today, especially in the Psychology class. He'd seemed a lot more interested in Yugi and Joey then usual. Though Yugi hadn't seemed to notice Yami had, that the young CEO had looked over at them several times throughout the class. Yugi either didn't notice or chose to overlook it in lieu of being respectful or he just wasn't concerned with him anymore. Yami was inclined to think it was the latter because of what he'd said on the way to Black Crown yesterday after school.

Kaiba was acting odd because he wasn't antagonizing Joey at all and Yami wondered if the reasons didn't indicate something dark about the young man's past that they might not all be aware of. There could be no other reason for it. He thought it made more sense then the thought that they really didn't matter to him. Seto might appear to be rough and coarse, cold and uncaring, but he really wasn't. Yami had seen the softness there for his little brother and because that existed, there was hope for the young man that he might someday find his own happiness. Of that Yami would hope to be around to see someday.

o-

"You really think that Joey?" Mai asked, batting her eyes at her web cam.

"Yes I do, I think you are the hottest duelist I have ever laid eyes on. To think you turned down that movie star guy because he couldn't beat you. I've beaten you babe. And you've beaten me, stolen my heart even though I'd give it freely."

"My you're awful poetic tonight. I can't wait until you are right here with me Joey. I miss you," Mai said, wiggling in her chair, adjusting her halter-top straps seductively.

"Oh Mai, you're such a tease. At least I know how to make you mine. I miss you too, but I'll be with you all weekend. We don't have to get out of bed if you don't want to."

She giggled and brought her hand up to her mouth and kissed her finger, then blew a kiss at him through her web cam. He smiled back and took off his shirt, sat back and grinned. It was a response to her challenge by wiggling around so cutely. She grinned and took off her shirt, winked and shook her cleavage at the web cam. He gasped and swooned in his chair and she laughed, sitting back down.

"You like that don't you big red." She taunted.

He grinned and nodded slowly, "You know I do."

She nodded and put her right index finger in her mouth.

Joey shivered, "Oh man, you gotta stop that Mai. I got school in the morning. You save that for me tomorrow night. Ok?"

Joey smiled knowing she would. She knew what effect she had on him and she played it to the fullest. She'd shown him the height of pleasure and the joy of truly loving someone. Being the only girl he'd ever kissed or touched, just seeing her in her bedroom like this was enough to make him want to rush over there right now. He looked over at the clock. It was only ten. If he left now he could get over there in time to have some intimate time with her. But would she mind taking him to school? Would people notice and make a big deal out of it?

"How about I pack a bag now to get us through the night and you come get me?" He winked at her, seeing her smile widen he knew he'd be getting that bag ready.

"You read my mind handsome. I'm on my way."

Mai blew another kiss and then reached to her halter-top putting it back on. Then she waved to him and then turned off her side of the chat. He saw her go offline then and knew she was grabbing her keys and out the door. He quickly got a duffel bag together and grabbed his backpack. He turned off his computer and then headed out to let Duke know he'd be hitching a ride home but had the way in to school covered tomorrow.

"You're going where?"

"You heard me Mai's. You got the number if you need me."

"Ahhh, I see. Don't worry I won't need to call. You two have a nice night. See you tomorrow in class Joey."

Duke waved at Joey as he nodded, "Ok, see you Duke."

Joey closed Duke's door and smiled. Duke was a good friend and he knew that Duke had his share of females fighting for his affection. It was nice that he had him to talk to. The look he'd given him told him he understood that she'd been chatting with him and he couldn't take not being with her after that. As Joey went downstairs he saw that Mai was in the parking lot. He went right to the front door and on out to meet her. She looked so good he felt like he was real again. Like the world was suddenly real around him.

The evening was still young and having planned on leaving his backpack in the car, when they got back to her place, he brought his duffel bag with him. Things were tense between them as they both needed to be together so badly. Joey wasn't sure if he should share with her what happened last night, but as he headed into her apartment he had a feeling they wouldn't be doing much talking before falling asleep. That was fine with him. He'd slept good last night so if he didn't fall asleep until two he'd still be fine to get through school. All that mattered now was that he was with his love right now.

He followed her into the bedroom and she pulled off her top and then unzipped her skirt, dropping it, wearing only a pair of sexy black thigh high hose, her black panties and the black bra that she'd had on earlier. He lifted off his shirt and they came quickly into each other's arms. Immediately they were kissing and she led him to the bed. She backed away long enough to sit down and then move back onto the bed properly, inviting him with her sultry charms. Joey felt his stomach twist in his gut as he moved onto the bed, above her, pressing his lips to hers as everything around them faded away.

His heart fluttered in his chest as she snaked her hands around his neck, entwining his hair in between her fingers. It sent shivers down his spine and he caressed her cheek with a hand, that he then moved down over her breast, down to her hip, then down her leg. Joey wanted her so badly right now, he could feel her desire for him was burning just as hotly, it was the reason he'd wanted to be here. As they began their sweet journey in each other's arms the two lovers gave in to their passionate longings. Because he wanted to make love to her, to show her how much being part of her life meant to him.


	17. A Jim In The Slammer

Author Note: I do not own Yugioh or any of the characters from the show. I hope you enjoy this story and I look forward to seeing what people think of it. If you like it please R&R. I don't expect this to be a long story like my other two Yugioh fics, but I think it will be a fun ride as it moves along. Just a warning; this story will contain spoilers for Battle City and possibly the Noah's Virtual World saga. This fic has been beta read by Minor Arcana; a big thank you to her for all her help and advice on the story.

Dog Days Chapter Seventeen: A Jim In The Slammer

-o-

"This way, sir," said the officer who was escorting Jim.

Jim was still cuffed and grunted as he got out of the squad car. He'd been in jail once before over being drunk and disorderly, but this time around he had a feeling he'd really screwed up and would be spending more time here then was worth it for having beat the snot out of Dan.

The officer held open the door, his partner silently following behind Jim as if afraid he might suddenly take off.

That wasn't about to happen. Jim's back was hurting pretty badly and he felt like throwing up.

"I'm gonna be sick. I need the bathroom now or a trashcan. Your choice, guys."

Jim burped and then grunted in pain. The officers both made faces of disgust and then took him to the bathroom. They went inside with him while Jim vomited up everything that had dwelled within his stomach.

One of the officers unlocked Jim's cuffs so he could wipe his mouth, and they re-cuffed him with his hands in front of him in case he got sick again.

After five more minutes, Jim washed his hands up and they took him back out to get booked. He had his picture taken, his fingerprints taken and was compelled to answer all sorts of questions.

It took two hours, but finally Jim discovered that he was being transferred to the county jail. He was taken into their custody and then made to go to a holding cell while they went about getting a cell ready for him. The officers who'd handled his booking told the staff at the jail that this one was not a troublemaker; he'd just lost his cool and assaulted a co-worker. They also told them that this wasn't his first offense for a crime involving alcohol. He most likely would have to get into rehab because he'd drank for so long he'd definitely suffer withdrawal symptoms from it.

It would be up to the public defender and the judge as to whether or not alcohol treatment would be beneficial if undertaken voluntarily maybe shave a little off his sentence. But the staff tended to talk and Jim heard some of it from his vantage point behind the full metal door. The only opening was a window with two inch thick glass and an opening the inmates got their trays through for meals. Jim noticed there was another guy, but he was snoring so basically he was alone.

_I shouldn't have gone after Joey again. I don't know why I want to hurt him so badly. I don't, really. Why do I do these things? _

Jim wondered to himself why he had thrown a punch at his son. It had been wrong, he'd known it, but he had been so angry with his son for leaving. He'd always been there and as Jim sat there now he felt like crying; he did love Joey and he wished he could take back all the ugly things he'd put him through and said to him. It was a tangible pain he felt; it was in his chest near his heart, a pain similar to the one ripping through his back.

There was a fuzzy memory of that weird kid Jim had accused Joey of being involved with, and how he had gotten angry when that kid told him off.

_But was he being truthful? Could a crazy whacked out kid like that really see anything about someone's future? Or was he just trying to freak me out? He was so fast it was almost inhuman. Must have been on drugs, I bet that is what it was. His eyes did change and look all weird after he started telling me off._

Jim grunted as he shifted his weight on the hard stone seat he'd gravitated towards. If he had a blanket and a pillow then he'd be able to rest, but even the poor guy next to him on the other bench had no pillow and looked cold. It wouldn't be too much longer before they would be coming for him to make him shower and shampoo his hair with that anti-lice garbage that stunk to high hell.

He felt so stupid. He should have just gone home instead of going to the bar. Well, now he would have nothing _but_ time to reflect on that, along with a lot of other shit he didn't want to be thinking about but inevitably would.

xoxox

Joey was getting another bag full of clothes to get him through the weekend at Mai's. She'd bought him some things that he kept there, like some sexy boxers and some silk pajamas, along with some other casual clothes she'd seen when she was shopping. He really loved the generous heart she had, the way she would smile or smirk a challenge at him made him so happy. She was everything he could have wanted in a woman. That was what Mai was; a beautiful woman who wanted him.

He knew when she'd pushed his buttons in a friendly challenge that it was all in fun. As he gathered his things he thought about how nice it was to be here with Duke living on his own with him and being free from the abuse his father had dished out on him. His cell phone rang and it was Mai. She told him she was on the way and would be there in less then five minutes.

"I'll be waiting for you, Mai," Joey said, as he hung up his phone, sticking it back in his back pocket.

He left the room after doubly checking that he had everything he needed. He then went downstairs. Duke was busy working in his room and Joey had already told him he was leaving so he just headed outside. He felt somewhat depressed after seeing his father last night and he tried to put it out of his mind, yet it was there, nagging at him.

How bad his dad had looked… the red eyes and five-o'clock shadow were bad enough, but something in his eyes looked like he'd snapped when Yugi had basically caught him trying to sucker punch him.

_What's _wrong_ with him? Is it just alcoholism or is it something more?_

Joey didn't know, but try as he might he just couldn't stop caring about the sick bastard. He was still his father after all.

Sighing, the blonde went to the elevator and waited for it to come up. After the doors opened he got inside and hit the button to take him to the lobby.

Shifting his weight from one foot to the other the image of his father's face haunted Joey. He couldn't shake it no matter what he did. He had a feeling what Yugi said might end up coming to pass if he didn't somehow find the strength to stop drinking.

He'd looked terrible last night, and only being with Mai had pushed the pain of seeing him like that from his troubled thoughts.

As he left the elevator and headed for the front doors, Joey could already see Mai outside waiting for him. True to her word, she was there smiling at him as she waited for him to reach the car. The doors shut behind him and he trotted over to the car where she had the door ajar for him to easily slip into the passenger seat.

"Hi, handsome," she greeted him warmly, leaning over to kiss his cheek.

This made the young man blush.

"Hi, Mai. How are you doing since this morning?" asked Joey.

"All right. I'm still worried about you though. How are you doing?"

He sighed, "I'm fine. Really. Thanks for being there for me last night. I can't help but to think about it, how crazy he looked. It really freaked me out."

Mai sighed and reached over to squeeze Joey's shoulder, "Joey, it's ok. He can't hurt you anymore."

"Yeah, I know. It's just I can't help but to feel bad for Dad, at least a little bit. He is a mess. God, I never want to be like that," Joey said, his voice trembling from the deep emotion he felt.

Mai put her hand back on the steering wheel as she sat in silent thought. _If I say what I am thinking, that that bastard deserves a lot worse then just being stuck in that house alone, I will only upset Joey and I don't want to do that. He's been through enough as it is._

They sat in silence for the rest of the drive to Mai's apartment and only when they got there did they talk again. The conversation stayed far away from the events of the previous night, and Joey was grateful for it.

Putting on a movie, the two cuddled up on the couch so they could watch it. Thoughts of his father were still floating around Joey's troubled mind, but the fact he was with Mai helped to keep those thoughts at bay. He knew that if he needed to he could talk to her about it; he knew he could talk to Mai about anything and that she'd understand. Just as she'd understood he wasn't up to going out anywhere tonight.

xoxox

"Come on Mr. Wheeler, it's time for your shower and to get assigned a cell," said the guard, who unlocked the holding cell that Jim had been waiting for hours in.

"It's about time," commented the annoyed blonde.

The guard handed him a big gray tote bin and said, "Here is your canteen that has your blanket, pillow and other necessities. Take care of it, because this is the only thing you're getting until next week."

Jim nodded and followed the established protocol, letting the guard lock him up in handcuffs before leaving the cell behind the guard who then led the way down the hall to a large bathroom with a huge shower in it. Once there, he took the cuffs off the older man and gestured to the shower. Jim put the bulky tote down after getting the soap from it, got undressed and then sighed as he turned on the water, doing his best to adjust the heat. He knew that the cold anti-lice concoction was soon to be sprayed all over him. He got in and used the weak-looking slab of soap that was like the kind you got in hotels, washing himself up, trying to prepare himself for the ice cold shampoo that was going to be sprayed on his head any moment.

"All right, that's enough, Mr. Wheeler. Turn this way so I can spray you down," the young man commanded.

Jim obediently turned and closed his eyes as the soapy mess was sprayed on him from a barrel. Said barrel looked like a bug sprayer with one of those hand pumps to make it spray. Jim grimaced when his crotch got a blast, and then he quickly rubbed the stinking lather around before getting relief from the warm water as it rinsed it all off. Even with it gone, the stench of the stuff still clung to him and he groaned as he was handed a towel from his gray canteen that was just barely big enough to get around his hips.

Turning off the water, Jim began to dry off and was then handed some orange pants and a matching shirt.

_Couldn't they have given me something in better condition then these pieces of scrap?_ he thought, as he put on the thin pants that were worn from so many launderings.

The guard waited until he had the shirt on before holding out the cuffs again and snapping them around Jim's wrists. Then he led Jim down the hallway to an area that the guard had to be buzzed entry into by another guard behind a glass window.

Jim rolled his eyes as he was led into the noisy cell area. People were making all kinds of noise; empty threats at each other, hooting and hollering in the midst of other pointless vocalizations. It was enough to make the older blonde man sick to his stomach. Some of that nausea was probably due to the alcohol wearing off and Jim wished, not for the first time since being arrested, that he had a beer.

He was brought to a cell with two other guys, both of whom were looking at him. Jim was glad there were two open bunks because he didn't want to fight over who got which one.

Without saying a word, he went to sit on the one closest to the wall and the toilet. That was the worst part about jail, sharing a commode and having to relive yourself in front of everyone within eyeshot.

Jim sighed as he put the canteen on the floor and took out the sheets, pillow, blanket and toilet paper. He then stood and made the bed as good as he could with the crummy sheets, then he put the roll of toilet paper on the top of his canteen under the bed before he sat down, took the pillowcase and stuffed the pillow into it.

Jim hated these thin vinyl pillows and slender vinyl mattresses with a passion, but if things went well with his court appearance he'd get out of here in no time. Then again, if he got the same judge he'd gotten three years ago he'd be in here a lot longer this time around. This wasn't his first time in Domino's jail and, he hated to admit it to himself, but it might not be his last.

As he sat there looking up at the slightly stained white tile ceiling, Jim could have cared less if they'd had a leak and it had defaced the purity of the tiles in their ceilings. What he cared about now was what his son was up to.

_I bet that bastard is out there having a great time with his weird little friends. I just hope he isn't into drugs. I hope I didn't raise a fool. Maybe seeing me so messed up last night will scare the little shit straight if he is doping it up. I sure hope he doesn't hurt himself._

"Hey, what are you in for, mister?" asked a young man that was barely older then Joey. "I stole a car; pretty stupid huh?

Jim turned on his side away from the kid, "Assault. Stealing a car is just as stupid as popping a smart ass in the mouth, breaking his jaw, so who am I to talk."

The third man grunted, sitting up on his bunk bed, "Heh, I was selling crack so I guess that makes us all dumb assholes."

That made the kid laugh, obviously agreeing with him, but Jim merely shrugged and stayed silent. One thing he had learnt before was the more you kept to yourself the better off you were. Suddenly he got that ill feeling in his gut again and he jumped up and ran to the toilet, just in time to vomit into it and not on the floor. He turned the water on the sink part of the commode as it was a one-piece fixture and cursed under his breath that he was shaking so badly. It was bad he'd puked in here, now the stench would get his bunk mates sick and possibly make them hurl too, but he had a feeling that by this time tomorrow he'd be in a real bad way from not having any booze.

The longest he'd gone without any alcohol was his eight hours of work or sleep since he'd been in jail the last time. He didn't want to think about how bad it would be by Monday, so he had to get out tomorrow if the judge granted him probation or perhaps let him pay restitution and a fine he could get out of this place. The two men in here with him didn't seem so bad, but the one crack dealer bothered him. He looked bad too, with dark circles under his eyes that looked oddly vacant. Again, the weird kid's glare came back to him from last night. He didn't want to think about it but as another wave of nausea overtook him he couldn't get the image out of his mind.

_Freaking jerk. He's lucky he didn't take a swing at me, I would have beaten him to a pulp _and_ made Joey watch it all._

As he washed his mouth out and splashed water on his face, Jim realized how evil he sounded in his own head. How degenerate he truly had become that he could even consider beating up a teenager besides Joey, who deep in his heart he knew never deserved what he had laid upon him. But it was all the older man knew how to do. His own father had been an alcoholic, and, like Jim, he'd held a job, lost his wife and beaten his son. He'd died a few years ago, cancer having eaten away at his throat and stomach from drinking and smoking for so long. Jim hated that the same fate could be in store for him since he wasn't able to give up drinking on his own and smoked.

_I shouldn't be vomiting like this. If I was home I'd be drinking dammit. This is all that worm Daniel's fault for talking shit._

But though Jim knew he could have ignored it, the truth was that he'd wanted to deck the guy for a long time for mouthing off at the bar in front of all the guys. Finally, the nausea was lifting and Jim washed his hands and then went back to the bed, if one could call it a bed. He sat down.

Reaching into his canteen, Jim pulled out the towel that was still damp from his mandatory shower and dried his hands before putting it back inside and pushing the gray box back under his bed. He lay down and tried to clear his mind, he knew that in reality he'd be in here for a lot longer then he cared to admit and so he waited for sleep to claim him. He only had to wait about half an hour because the lights were turned off and he was left in relative peace.

xoxox

Author note: I apologize for the long space between updates, but I have had my son home for summer vacation and haven't had the time I used to for writing, but I assure you this story is not done and has much more in store for Joey and Co' which I hope everyone will continue to enjoy. Thank you for reading and thank you to everyone who've left reviews, your reviews are the inspiration for me to keep on writing so please keep them coming and I will work to supply you with chappies to review until the story runs its course.


	18. Bad News Travels Fast

Author Note: I do not own Yugioh or any of the characters from the show. I hope you enjoy this story and I look forward to seeing what people think of it. If you like it please R&R. I don't expect this to be a long story like my other two Yugioh fics, but I think it will be a fun ride as it moves along. Just a warning, this story will contain spoilers for Battle City and possibly the Noah's Virtual World saga. This fic has been beta read by Minor Arcana; a big thank you to her for all her help and advice on the story.

Dog Days Chapter Eighteen: Bad News Travels Fast

xoxox

Jim awoke in a fog of pain, dazed and confused. The last thing he could remember was being in the cell and falling down. He looked around him and found he was in a different bed in an unfamiliar cell. He'd been in jail just about a month now and hated every passing day. The pain he was in was getting worse, he assumed it was because of the terrible sleeping arrangements he'd had to endure. He looked over to the right and down to his hand and saw to his surprise that he had an IV dripping some unknown clear fluid into his system. As his vision cleared he saw a doctor he'd never seen before coming over to his bedside.

"Hello Mr. Wheeler, glad you're finally awake. You collapsed in your cell and we did some tests and the results, well I am afraid it's not good news."

Jim groaned and rolled his eyes, "Spit it out doc what's the problem? Slipped disk in my back or something?"

The man shook his head, "No, something much more serious Mr. Wheeler. There is no easy way to say this, but you have colon cancer and I am afraid it is in the final stages now. You have maybe a month at the most to live. That is what the IV is for, some pain medication because you must be in incredible pain."

"What the hell? You're telling me I am dying? Go to hell you damn quack! Get away from me!" Jim yelled angrily.

The doctor didn't bat an eye at the loud voice Jim used that would have made his son cower in fear.

"Mr. Wheeler, I'm truly sorry but the tests show it's inoperable and you're actually living on borrowed time now. You could have a matter of days actually; it has progressed that far. Is there any family you'd like us to inform about this?" asked the doctor sounding somewhat sympathetic.

"Just my boy, but he won't care, he hates me," Jim muttered already feeling hopelessly sorry for himself.

_I can just see him dancing on my grave when I'm gone. Looks like I'll be joining my dad a lot sooner then I ever thought. Dammit I can't believe this._

"Then we will see about notifying him for you. Perhaps he can come in for a visit, but you're going to remain here in the infirmary until, well, for the rest of your jail stay you'll be here and we'll do our best to make you comfortable as we can."

Then the doctor moved to the cell door and waited for the guard to let him out. And then Jim was alone with his morbid thoughts. Even if somehow Joey found it in his heart to forgive him he'd never be able to forgive himself for all that he'd put the boy through. For the first time in at least twenty-five years tears fell from the eyes of the man who'd spent the better part of his life making people around him miserable. He thought about his father's funeral and how sad people had acted. Would anyone care when he died? Somehow he doubted they would and he closed his eyes as he sobbed quietly in his bed.

xoxox

Joey was working the front register when Duke came in with an envelope in his hand and an alarmed expression on his face. He waited until the customer Joey was waiting on had walked away before he handed the envelope to Joey without saying a word. Then he put his hand on Joey's shoulder and told him whatever it was about he'd be there for him.

"What is this?" asked Joey looking at the return address from the dept of corrections meaning it was from the Domino Jail.

He opened it as Duke shrugged. Joey's eyes went wide as he read over the letter before he swooned and nearly fainted before Duke reached out to steady him. Duke had a feeling it had to be really bad news if it had thrown Joey physically off balance so badly. He didn't know how he could help his friend but whatever he could do he would do. Joey handed him the letter and whispered that he needed to sit down Duke helped him over to the chair behind the counter where there was a computer that was used for inventory reasons and ordering things from their distributor's warehouse.

"Read it Duke, I don't know what to say," Joey breathed as he lowered his head onto his arms and did some deep breathing that Duke was fearful would turn into sobbing any moment,

He motioned to one of the other clerks and whispered to him to take over and that he was taking Joey upstairs, also that he might not be back down for some time and to just worry about taking care of the customers. Then he leaned over and whispered to Joey that they should go upstairs if he felt up to it. Joey nodded and let Duke help him to the elevator. Duke was too worried about his friend to read the contents of the letter yet so he just held onto Joey's arm, which Duke had put over his shoulder to help support his friend's weight better.

"Duke have you read it yet?" Joey asked in a shaky voice.

"No, I'm almost afraid to honestly Joey. Are you going to be ok man?"

Joey slumped over and started sobbing, "No Duke I don't think I am. My dad is dying and he's in jail, been in jail for over a month too. What am I going to do?"

Duke was stunned. He knew there was nothing he could say that would help Joey right now so he didn't say anything. Then the elevator doors opened and he helped Joey to his room. Once they made it inside Joey collapsed face down onto his bed and cried. Duke stayed put and reached out to rub his back in what he hoped would offer the young blonde some comfort.

"Duke, I need to go see him…" Joey stated, his voice trembling with emotion.

"Of course Joey. I'll take you no problem," Duke replied.

"I need to call my mom," Joey said, his voice sounding better.

Duke was encouraged that Joey seemed to be calmer, so he began reading the letter. His eyes went wide and the color drained from his face as he read that Joey's father had been diagnosed with a fatal disease left him speechless. He slowly handed the letter back to Joey and still couldn't find a voice to speak. Joey smiled weakly and looked up at Duke.

"Thanks for getting me out of there, I was close to breaking down in front of people and that won't do. I think the shock is wearing off a bit so I am going to call mom. What are we doing for dinner?" Joey asked, taking Duke off guard a moment.

"Feel like ordering a pizza maybe?" Duke asked in response.

Joey nodded so Duke nodded back and left his friend to call his mother. As he left the room Duke felt Joey was trying to put on an act for his benefit so he hoped now that he'd left that Joey might let out some of that stunned grief he knew had to be churning inside of him. But most of all he felt that Joey was hurting, just as he knew he'd be hurting if he'd found out his own father was dying.

xoxox

"Hello Mom? It's Joey," began Joey when his mother answered the phone.

About twenty minutes had passed from the time he'd told Duke he was going to call and when the tears began flowing again. He still could hardly believe the news but he had to tell his sister and his mother. He hoped Serenity would be able to go see him and if their mother let him Joey would gladly go with them on such a visit to maybe smooth out things and be a buffer between his mother and his dying father. That was assuming she even wanted to go visit him and he wasn't so sure she would agree to, but surely she'd let Serenity go.

"Well hello Joey. Serenity isn't here, she's at the library but I'll tell her you called."

Joey shook his head, it was just like his mother to want to get him off the phone as soon as possible. But this time there would be no fast good-byes, not when he had such heavy news to discuss as his father being in jail and dying in jail.

"Yeah well I can talk to her later. I need to talk to you Mom. Are you sitting down? I've just gotten some real bad news we need to talk about," Joey said softly hoping his mother would get the hint and be a mother to him for once.

"What is it Joseph? I'm standing up and there isn't a chair nearby so just out with it."

Joey coughed and held back tears, the last thing he wanted to do was to cry on the phone with her.

"It's about Dad. He's been in jail for about a month now…" he began. "He's got cancer too. They just found out and said he has a month at most, maybe less. I don't know if you'd want to go see him Mom, but I can take Serenity with me when I go if that is ok with you."

The silence was deafening and it went on and on until finally he had to break it, "Are you there mother? You ok?"

After a moment he heard her breathing and relaxed, he'd been afraid she'd hung up on him.

"Y-yes I'm here. I gather he's at the Domino Jail then?" she replied with an unreadable tone of voice.

"Yes that's where he's at. Did you want to go see him?"

"Heavens no. He made his bed years ago with me and knows he has to sleep in it alone. I'm sorry to hear he's sick though. Are they certain it's cancer?"

Joey sighed, "Yeah Mom, they wouldn't have sent me a letter like this if they weren't sure, you know? So can I take Serenity to see him at least once?"

"Joseph that isn't up to me. I'll leave it up to her, but I think she'll want to. She still talks about the weekend she spent with you and that Duke boy you live with. So maybe you could have her over again, I know she'd want to be close to you after seeing him like that and I am at a loss as to what to do for either of you because of my own issues with him."

"Thanks Mom. I appreciate it. Do you want me to call later to tell her the bad news?" asked Joey, fully prepared to do it should he need to.

"No, I can tell her Joseph. You have a lot to handle with this already, the least I can do is break the news to her myself. Will you be home later? She should be home in half an hour so I know she is going to want to talk to you when she hears this," answered his mother sounding sad.

"Yeah I'm not going anywhere tonight. I am thinking of seeing him soon though so I'd like to be able to tell him if she is going to come visit or not, so definitely have her call me after you two talk," Joey requested, hoping that his sister would take the news well, but something told him she wouldn't.

"Ok I will Joseph. Thanks for calling. Have a good night son," she said as she prepared to hang up the phone.

"Sure, you too Mom," Joey said softly, feeling his heart ache at the lack of affection he felt from the woman who'd brought him into the world.

Then he hung up and lay back on his bed. He wished he could just call Serenity himself on her cell phone, but he'd agreed to let his mother tell her so he had to stand by that. He could only hope she mustered up the compassion to tell her in a decent fashion and not just blurt it out. A moment later Duke knocked on his door telling him that the pizza was there so Joey got up and went to the dinning room kitchen combo and sat down to dig in to the pizza with his friend. His mind was still troubled by thoughts of his father's suffering but as he ate slowly he began to feel better.

xoxox

Joey was waiting for the phone to ring and when it did he jumped because it startled him. He expected to hear Serenity's voice but he heard a masculine voice, once he recognized instantly as belonging to his father! He swallowed at the lump in his throat and greeted him coolly.

"Hello Dad, I got a letter about you today. So I have been thinking about you a lot. You ok?" Joey asked, feeling incredibly stupid when he knew the man was anything but ok, yet he'd been unable to stop himself from asking.

"Sure son. I'm just dandy. Got a damned quack in here telling me I am dying or some shit, but I ain't listening to him, you know how I am about doctors."

Joey remembered just how strong his father's aversion to anyone in the medical profession was the time he'd spoken of wanting to be a doctor when he was a boy. He shivered now remembering the string of obscenities the man had yelled at him and how his dream of doing something big with his life helping people had died that day.

"Yeah I know. So can I come see you soon?" Joey asked hoping that was the reason for the call.

"Yeah that is what I am calling about. To tell you the visiting hours are from five until eight in the evening so you have that boy you're living with drive you on down here and let your old man see you before he dies, will ya?" Jim's voice sounded bitter and Joey felt twinges of regret over the lengths he'd had to go to free himself from this man who in spite of what he'd done to him, he found he still loved him.

"You can count on it Dad. I'll see if I can come by tomorrow or Sunday. Would that be ok?"

"Sure sounds good to me. They got me all screwed up on some drugs for pain and all so I won't be in the best of shape. So maybe you try to get here around six or so and I can try to make them give me medication before that so that I can visit with you proper."

Joey flinched at his father's bad use of language and was grateful that his own grasp of English was good enough that he'd been able to finish his story and garner some good experience from it too as well as some positive feedback from people who'd read and enjoyed it. He knew his father hadn't taken his own education very seriously and he would doubtlessly laugh at the idea that his son had written a story to completion, yet do so he had. One he was very proud of.

"Ok, I'll be by tomorrow evening around six then. Good to talk to you Dad. Take care," Joey said with some sadness.

"All right, I'll see you then. Good bye," Jim said and then hung up.

Joey sat there holding the phone stunned that his father had actually called, then he remembered his sister was supposed to call and he put the phone back in its cradle. It rang almost immediately and this time it was his sister.

"Hi Sis, you hanging in there ok?" he asked with great concern.

"Oh Joey I don't know what we're going to do! I don't want Dad to die, are they sure he's got cancer?" Serenity asked in tears.

"Yeah, they wouldn't send me a letter like that unless they were sure Serenity. I just spoke to him though and he sounded ok," he lied hoping that she wouldn't pick up on his deceit.

"I want to see him Joey can I go with you to see him soon? If I don't get to see him and something happened I'd never be able to live with it."

"Don't cry Serenity, you can definitely come with me to see him. Duke is taking me tomorrow to see him and if Mom says it's ok you can spend the weekend next week and we'll go see him then," Joey hoped she wouldn't push to see him this weekend with him because Joey wanted to talk to him alone first.

"But can't I go with you tomorrow? Please big brother?" she implored him still crying.

"I don't know, I think I probably ought to go see him first Serenity, you know? Just to see how he's doing," Joey said feeling bad for his sister that he wasn't able to hug her like he knew she needed.

"Ok, if you really think that's best, but I am going with you next weekend. All right?"

"That's fine Sis, that is just what I was thinking too. In fact you can probably stay the weekend again if you'd like to that is," he added hoping to help cushion the impact of the bad news and realization that she wouldn't be going to see him this weekend.

"Ok, I'll ask Mom but I bet she'll be fine with it."

Joey smiled, "Yes we talked about it earlier and she is fine with it Serenity so don't worry. It's all set, ok?"

She sighed and Joey could feel her pain, "Ok Joey. Call me tomorrow after you see him ok? And please tell him I will be coming next weekend."

"Ok I will, good bye Sis," Joey said softly.

"Good bye big brother."

Joey waited for her to hang up the phone before he hung up his. He got up and left to go watch some television and get the situation with his father off of his mind. Duke wasn't in sight so Joey figured he was probably working in his room. He'd been working a lot lately and from what he'd shown Joey he was pretty impressed with the new video game version of Dungeon Dice Monsters he was working on with a gaming company.

There was nothing on so he surfed channels for awhile before giving up and leaving it on the music video channel. He lay on the couch and took out his cell phone. There was only one person he wanted to talk to right now so he dialed the number for the game shop Yugi's grandpa ran hoping he'd answer and be able to come over. Right now he needed the comfort of a close friend and Yugi was his best of all friends. Later he'd call Mai, but right now he wanted to talk to Yugi.

"Hey Yug, it's Joey. What are you up to?" Joey asked after Yugi answered the phone on the second ring.

"Hi Joey! Nothing really why something up?" asked his best friend.

"Yeah, I kinda need someone to talk to, you busy tonight or can you come over?"

Yugi hesitated a moment and then replied, "No I'm not doing anything, want me to come over? I can get my bike and be over in fifteen minutes."

Joey smiled feeling relief was on the way, "Yes that would be great, bring stuff to stay the night ok?"

"Ok Joey, see you soon, bye."

"See ya Yug," Joey said feeling better already.

He put his cell back in his pocket and got up to go knock on Duke's door. He called out to him from beyond it to come on in. Joey opened the door and sure enough Duke was sitting there in front of his computer working hard.

"Hi Joey, what's up? Everything ok?" Duke asked with a serious expression.

Joey nodded, "Yeah I'm better now, but I wanted to let you know I called Yugi and he's gonna spend the night tonight. And my dad actually called, can we go see him tomorrow like aiming for six-thirty?"

Duke nodded, "You bet we can, not a problem. If you need me I'm just right here ok? You know you can always talk to me if you need to."

Joey smiled, "I know I can Duke, thanks for being there for me earlier, I was a real mess."

Duke smiled back, "It's ok, that's what friends are for."

"Thanks man. I'll let you get back to work now. We're probably going to be hanging out in my room or the living room if there is anything good on. See ya later Duke," Joey said as he turned to leave his friend to get back to his work.

He went to the elevator and headed downstairs to wait for Yugi. He had a feeling it was going to be a long night and he was grateful for the comfort he knew being with Yugi would bring. He knew he was lucky to have such a good friend and he vowed that if Yugi ever needed him he'd always be there for him. Joey had already proven that he would many times, and he knew that if a need arose he'd be there for Yugi no matter what.

xoxox

Author Note: I'm sorry it took so long for me to update chapter 17, but it was a tough one to compose. I shouldn't be taking nearly that long in updating the remainder of the story, which I think, is going to end up being about 24 or 25 chapters. I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter and I look forward to your reviews. Thank you for all the support and words of encouragement, your reviews are the fuel to keep me writing and I appreciate each and every one.


	19. Waiting Is the Hardest Thing To Do

Author Note: I do not own Yugioh or any of the characters from the show. I hope you enjoy this story and I look forward to seeing what people think of it. If you like it please R&R. I don't expect this to be a long story like my other two Yugioh fics, but I think it will be a fun ride as it moves along. Just a warning, this story will contain spoilers for Battle City and possibly the Noah's Virtual World saga. This fic has been beta read by Minor Arcana; a big thank you to her for all her help and advice on the story.

Dog Days Chapter Nineteen: Waiting Is the Hardest Thing To Do

xoxox

Joey waved to Yugi through the door and smiled as his friend came up to the Black Crown. The shop was already closed so Joey had to unlock the door to let Yugi in, which he did quickly because it had started raining. Yugi locked his bike up to the rack that was there out front under the cover of the awning and lugging his backpack he trotted into the store smiling at Joey. Joey felt bad that he'd not warned Yugi about the bad news, but then he hadn't wanted to upset him as the news was bound to effect him after how they'd run into his dad that night over a month ago.

"Hi Joey. What's up?" Yugi greeted Joey warmly.

Joey let his face fall a bit answering, "Hi Yug, I got some bad news today. Let's head upstairs and we'll talk about it."

Yugi looked concerned as Joey expected he would be, but that couldn't be helped, he didn't want to break down here in the middle of the store, he'd rather be upstairs in the living area of the place then down here where he'd first read the letter. He led Yugi to the elevator and they got inside, with Joey pressing the button to take them up to the second floor. You could see over a banister down into the shop area near the stairs at the back of the store that led up to the second floor, but that made Joey uncomfortable as he wasn't really ok with heights.

Dueling in the sky for the Battle City Finals had been quite a challenge for the young man but he'd been confident that no one had picked up on his fear of falling. As he led Yugi to his room his cell phone rang, taking it out of his back pocket and saw it was Mai's number coming up on the LED. He looked to Yugi and whispered that it was Mai so he had to take it but wouldn't be on long. He answered the phone and her sweet voice greeted him. He smiled and told her he had company and that he really couldn't talk at the moment but he'd call her back. She understood and told him she would be home so just call when he could.

"I will Mai, bye," Joey said as he prepared to flip the phone back up and stuff it back into his pocket.

"Bye hun," Mai said sweetly and then she hung up.

They got to Joey's room and went inside. Yugi put his backpack down near the bed and then he turned to Joey.

"Where do you want me to sit?" he asked unsure of where to sit down.

"Anywhere is fine Yugi. Listen, I got a letter today from the Domino Jail about my dad. He's been in jail for just about a month now and he apparently collapsed in his cell."

Yugi's face went from content to upset in mere seconds, "Oh God Joey, is he ok?"

As Yugi sat down on the edge of the bed Joey took the desk chair and pushed it over to the bed before sitting down. He shook his head and went on.

"No, he's dying Yugi. They did some tests and discovered he's got colon cancer. In the last stages too. I'm gonna go see him tomorrow, but for now I am just so upset and conflicted I don't know what to do. Which is why I wanted you over tonight. I didn't really want to be alone," Joey stated as he slumped over, propping himself up with one hand under his chin resting his elbow on the arm of the chair.

Yugi choked and Joey could see from his reaction that he was as shocked as Duke had been. Still he was grateful his friend was here, he meant it when he'd said he didn't want to be alone tonight. There was no school tomorrow and they could stay up late talking without having to worry about being late for school. Joey sighed and wondered how on earth he would handle seeing his father in jail. He could remember when he'd been in jail once before but it hadn't been for very long. This time he wouldn't be leaving and that made the young man sad.

"Joey I don't know what to say, I can't believe he's that sick and didn't know it," Yugi cringed as he spoke making Joey think he was remembering the night they'd run into his father in that alley.

"Yeah I can't either, but you remember what you said right? It looks like part of it is going to come true, he is going to die but he won't be alone and even after all he's done to me I still care. So does my sister. Do you want to go with me and Duke tomorrow to see him? I mean you could just be there to keep Duke company you don't have to go in and see him or anything," Joey asked hoping Yugi would go so that he could spend more time with his father then he would if Duke was waiting on him alone.

"Of course I'll go Joey, you'll need us both after that I'm sure."

Joey nodded and then sighed. He wanted to cry but then he had earlier and it wasn't like he had any tears left for his old man. He'd been cruel there was no doubt of that, but even as harsh and cold as he'd been towards Joey he didn't deserve to die in horrible pain like cancer caused. Joey wondered how bad he looked, if he'd been in jail for a month he hadn't been able to drink that entire time so he must be in bad shape.

"Thanks Yug, I knew you'd be here for me. It means a lot to me that you came over like this."

Yugi reached over to Joey's knee and put his hand there, "Joey I'll always be here for you, we're best friends and best friends stick together not matter what."

Joey nodded and even though he thought he had no tears left, imagining what his dad must be going through upset him so much that he started crying. He didn't notice that Yugi's eyes seemed to have changed and that he looked a bit different, but the spirit in the puzzle had come out to try to comfort their friend. Yugi didn't know what to do so he'd asked Yami to come out and besides Yami wanted to be there, especially since his prediction about Jim's demise was being proven to be somewhat accurate.

"It's ok Joey, I'm here," he said as he moved to hug the grieving young man.

He held Joey as he cried and tried to offer him some comfort. They moved to the bed and Joey let out all the pain he'd built up over his dad's illness. He asked why such things happen, and though Yami didn't have an answer, he told Joey that no one knew why things like this happened, but that all we could do was to be there for our loved ones and try to accept that there were some things we couldn't change. After a awhile Joey began to get tired and Yami told him they should think about sleeping.

"You should try to get some rest Joey, let me help you into bed," he said softly, standing and laying Joey back under the covers.

He took off the blonde's shoes and then Joey pulled out the cell phone, which he put on the nightstand. Then he turned on his side and Yami sat down on the bed next to him, with Joey facing the door to his room. He rubbed his back gently and told him not to worry that he wasn't alone as Joey drifted off to sleep. Some time passed and Yami got up and went to the bathroom where he brushed his teeth and washed his face. His younger half coming out to take over as Yami slipped back into the puzzle.

"Yami? Do you think he's going to be all right?" asked Yugi as he finished getting ready to go to bed.

"I don't know young one. I hope so, all we can do is be here for him and hope for the best. His father treated him really badly, that we know, but he's still his father and nothing will change that."

Yugi sighed, "I know, I just wish there was something more we could do for him, you know?"

Yami nodded, looking at the semi-transparent reflection of himself in the mirror next to Yugi.

They left the bathroom and Yugi took out his pajamas, which he quickly changed into, then the cell phone rang waking Joey. He mumbled that he'd forgotten to call Mai as he answered it.

"Hi Mai, I'm sorry I didn't call back. I am pretty depressed tonight. I got some bad news about Dad."

Mai said something Yugi couldn't hear and then Joey replied, "Yeah, he's in jail and what's worse, they discovered he's got cancer."

Joey was quiet for a few moments and then he responded to whatever Mai had said with, "Yeah I'm going to see him tomorrow. So maybe we can get together tomorrow night or something. You could always come over and stay the night here if you want to."

Then Yugi watched as Joey whispered, "I love you too Mai. Good night, sleep well."

Joey turned sleepily towards Yugi and lifted the covers, "Here Yug, grab that pillow and let's hit the hay, I'm really tired, you must be too it's gotta be about one in the morning."

"Sure Joey, thanks. Good night," Yugi said as he slid into the full sized bed next to his friend.

"Good night Yugi."

They were both asleep before long and only Yami stood by watching over them as they slept. The spirit felt sad for Joey, but he didn't feel bad for Jim at all. The man had spent the better part of his life hurting people who loved him and that made Yami angry. Of course when he'd peered into the man's twisted heart he'd seen that he would die sooner then later and he'd seen the blackness of cancer eating away at him, even if he hadn't announced it out loud, this news was no surprise to him. As he looked out the window of the bedroom down upon the wet, empty streets he felt in his heart that justice was being carried out. Even if it was painful and hurt his friend, it was his father's own doing that had brought this fate upon him.

xoxox

The next morning they got up and went to eat breakfast, Duke was long since up and had made eggs and bacon for them, which Joey microwaved to reheat them. They two of them sat down and ate while Duke was off somewhere working or perhaps downstairs taking care of his business. The two young men had slept well considering the late hour they'd gone to bed at. As they ate they were quiet, neither having much to say this morning with the impending visit to the jail looming over them it was a depressing morning.

Joey finally broke the silence when he finished his breakfast and took his plate over to the sink to wash it up.

"So Yug, you sleep ok? I hope I didn't kick you or anything."

Yugi chuckled, "No I slept fine, you didn't kick me or anything, don't worry. So what is on the agenda for the day until we head over to see your dad?"

Joey sighed, "I don't know maybe watch some television or play some video games? You up for that?"

Yugi nodded, "Yeah sounds great, I'd love to play that new fighting game Duke was talking about in school yesterday."

"Cool let's go get the console set up and play a bit. I am sure Duke will be up later, he's working on some stuff now I bet. Awful nice of him to make us breakfast like that though, I will have to thank him for it. He sure cooks better then I do."

Yugi laughed and agreed with Joey about his cooking, "Yeah but no one can eat as much as you can Joey, so you'd think you'd be a better cook then you are. Maybe you should take a cooking class or home economics or something."

Joey playfully punched Yugi in the arm and told him to shut up. Then they went to the living room to waste some time. Duke appeared an hour later and Joey did as he said he would, thanking him for breakfast, which Duke told him was no problem at all. Then he challenged Yugi to a round of the new game which Joey sat back and watched the two play. Duke was much better at it then Yugi was, that is until Yami appeared, then the tables began to turn and Yami beat Duke before the round was over.

"Man how did you pull those moves off Yugi? I want a rematch!" Duke demanded and laughed as they began a new round of fighting, more evenly matched this time around because Yami was starting off fresh.

Joey sat back on the couch as his friends had fun competing his cell rang, he knew it was Mai so he answered it right away. It was nice to have a girlfriend and he put his hand over the phone a moment and then asked Duke if Mai could come over tonight and Duke nodded as Yami knocked his guy out.

"Aw no fair I was distracted, rematch!" Duke complained, as the next round began with Yami laughing that he wasn't all that distracted, he was just up against the king of games so naturally he was out of his league.

"Come on Yugi, you can't be the best at everything, let me win will you?" Duke whined as Yami beat his guy down once again.

"Where's the fun in that Duke? You almost beat me before I got the hang of the game, Joey beat me once, so keep fighting and maybe you'll do the same." Yami said smiling sarcastically as he knew Duke would be even more motivated to try to beat him having heard how Joey beat him.

But what he didn't know was that Yugi had been the one who'd gotten beaten, now Joey wouldn't stand a chance against Yami because he was just really good with the controller and got off the special secret moves easily while Duke fumbled with the controller in his hands. Joey got up and left the room so he could talk to Mai without having to compete with the two fighting friends.

"So what do you think, my place tonight?" he asked hoping she'd agree.

"Sounds good to me Joey. But are you sure you're up to having company tonight? Why don't you call me after you get back and we'll see how you're feeling."

Joey knew he'd want her over, but he appreciated her consideration of his feelings just the same.

"Ok but pack your overnight bag anyway because I know I'm going to want to see you no matter what state I'm in. Ok?"

She agreed and they said their good-byes before hanging up. Joey went back to the living room where Yami had beaten Duke again and he decided to just sit back and watch the two going at it some more. He was surprised Yugi was still beating Duke as Duke had beaten him almost every round they'd played. After a few more rounds he did succeed in beating Yami, but truth be told Yami had let him win, fumbling around and saying his hands were just tired when he'd really just wanted to let him win one.

"Sure Yugi, I buy that. Not! I won fair and square! Hey Joey wanna have a go?" Duke asked, but Joey shook his head.

"Then maybe we can catch something on television, there is a cool movie coming on at eleven," Duke replied, switching off the gaming console.

They three of them sat back and watched the movie, losing track of time as second one came on. Soon it was lunchtime and they went out to Burger World. Time passed and it was getting closer to the time they'd need to leave, so they went back to the Black Crown to wait until five-thirty when they'd leave to go to the jail. Joey was very worried about what he'd say and how he react upon seeing his father in such a place, but there was turning back now. He'd said he'd go see him and see him he would no matter how afraid he was of his father's condition. He was dead set on seeing him this evening.

So they headed off at five-thirty with Joey wrestling with his fears as they got on the main road that the jail was, ready to face whatever lie ahead for Joey together. Duke parked the car and then the three of them sat there waiting for it to be six o'clock. Finally about ten minutes later Joey took a deep breath and left his two friends as he headed to the gate where he'd be allowed in to the jail. He was worried about seeing him, but he'd brought his identification card and hoped that they wouldn't give him any trouble about seeing his father. He was allowed in after signing a sign in sheet and them checking his ID.

He was shown to a room where his father would be brought out in a few minutes. He was told that he could call out to the guard when he was ready to leave and as soon as the guard left him Joey felt the urge to call out to him to come let him out. He fought it and forced himself to just sit there because he knew he had to see his father tonight and get it out of the way. Nothing would stop him from doing this, not even his own fear. Which was the hardest thing to overcome. He knew that he couldn't hurt him anymore, yet he was still afraid of what the man might say to him. His words sometimes hurt more then any punches he'd inflicted on him and he swallowed at the lump in his throat hoping that this visit would go all right.

Waiting was so hard, the longer Joey sat there the more he felt like running away. It wasn't much longer before he saw his father coming towards the room through the glass. He cleared his throat and took in the sight of his old man, noting right away that his shoulders were slumped and his face looked really pale. He was suddenly frightened that his dad might not make it another week for his sister to come see him and Joey wondered what kind of effect seeing him in here like this would have on her. He hated that he'd told her to wait, but he needed to know that their dad was up to seeing her. He would be so angry if the old man hurt Serenity in any way, so this was the only thing he thought that he could do to test the water to make sure that bringing her here was the right thing to do.

As he waited for his dad Joey prayed that this visit would go all right, he didn't pray usually, but this was an exception. He needed strength to get through it and as his Dad made his way slowly into the room and sat down into the chair across from him, Joey felt his heart sinking as he saw dark circles under his dull brown eyes that usually held a sparkle that meant trouble for the young blonde. But in here there was no chance that his father would risk getting himself in more trouble by attacking Joey. He looked up at him finally and the guard left them alone, to watch from behind the glass.

"Hello son, thanks for coming. It's good to see you," Jim began.

Joey didn't know what to say but he spoke anyway, "Hi Dad, you look bad, are they feeding you ok in here?"

"I'm dying boy, what did you expect? Cancer is eating away at my very core. Nothing is able to change that, not surgery not God and certainly not food. You should know that," Jim said softly.

Joey was surprised that he seemed so weak, "Did they give you pain medication like you'd wanted?"

Jim nodded and sighed, "Yup, but it still hurts like hell. I should have paid more attention to what my body was trying to tell me and gone to the doctor long before this. Then maybe…well it doesn't matter now. How is your sister? Is she going to come see me soon you think?"

Joey nodded, he'd already decided that it would be far worse on her to not see Jim then to see him in here like this. It was up to her if she wanted to come for a second visit. He knew he'd be back tomorrow, if Jim wanted him to come that is.

"Yes, I will bring her next weekend ok?"

Jim nodded and sighed, "Didn't trust me enough to bring her before you saw me eh boy?"

Joey's jaw fell open and he shrugged.

"Can't say as I blame you after all the shit I put you through. About that Joey, I know sorry will never amount to much, but I am sorry I hurt you. I don't know why I did the shit I did, but I know now that it was wrong and I am really sorry I took out my pain on you. You deserved so much more."

Joey sat there stunned, his father had never in all his years ever apologized for anything to him. Joey didn't know what to say so he sat there trying to shut his mouth.

"I know I haven't been a good dad, hell my own old man was a bastard, but still. I wish things had been different son. I guess now that I am dying and cold sober my vision finally got clear enough that I could take a good look at my life and realize some things. Like it wasn't really you I was ever mad at. It was me son. I'm really sorry and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me someday," Jim said, his gaze locked onto his son's as he apologized with all the sincerity he could muster.

"I…I forgive you dad, I wish things were different too. But we can't change the past. We can only live in the present," Joey said, remembering Yugi saying the very same thing to him the night before as he'd cried on his friend's shoulder.

"Yes well about that, it doesn't look like I have much present left to live son. I want you to know I left the house to you and if you want to sell it I'd understand. You should maybe go to college and do something with your life. Make me proud after I'm gone to know that at least that small thing, leaving you the house like this might help get you started on the right path in life," Jim said, then coughed, covering his mouth as he coughed again even harder.

Joey got up and went over to his dad and kneeled at his side, "I promise Dad, I will make you proud of me. I will do something with my life. I don't know what yet but I'll do something and make sure I remember you as you are right now. My father."

Jim turned to face Joey after his coughing fit subsided and he ruffled his blonde hair and laughed softly, "That's my boy. Now I gotta go get back into bed, I feel like shit but it was good to see you. When can you come again?"

"Would you want me to come tomorrow?" Joey asked unsure of how hard it was on his dad to come out like this to see him.

"No, I think it's gonna be another bad day tomorrow, but next weekend would be soon enough. Maybe I can call you sometime this week? Would that be ok?" he asked.

"Sure dad, call anytime ok?" Joey told him grateful for the honest conversation.

"Ok son, take care of yourself and when you come next weekend let's try to make your sister feel ok, I know she is going to take this pretty hard since I've been out of her life so long…You know what I mean right?"

Joey stood and nodded, "I know what you mean Dad, don't worry I'll help her get through it. That's what big brothers are for."

Jim nodded and gestured to the guard as he stood. Then as if he was fighting with himself he turned to face Joey, just standing there in a great deal of pain from what Joey could see, then he suddenly opened his arms and embraced Joey hugging him tight like he had when he was a boy. Joey was caught off guard but reached around the man who'd been so hard on him for so long and hugged him back. It didn't last long, but as Jim was being taken away he thanked Joey for coming again and then Joey was left alone as a guard from the other side of the glass came and opened the other door to lead Joey out.

Joey was all conflicted when he finally made it out to the car, he'd had to go into the men's bathroom there and cry for a few minutes before he'd been able to make himself leave. He'd really been moved by his father's apology and he prayed that his suffering wouldn't last long. He just hoped he would live long enough for one more visit and to see Serenity one time before dying and leaving this world and all its pain behind. Duke and Yugi seemed to sense he was upset and before Duke even turned the car on he reached over and put a hand on Joey's shoulder in silent support of his friend as Yugi reached over to his other shoulder from behind in the back seat.

As they drove back to the Black Crown Joey realized how lucky he was that he had such good friends as Duke and Yugi to lean on right now. Even though he wanted to see Mai later, right now he needed his friends more then anything and they were there for him like always. When they got back to the game shop Yugi followed Joey up to his room and stayed with him awhile until Joey felt up to calling Mai. Then Yugi headed home, he had to help his grandfather with a shipment that had come in today so Joey thanked him for his support and said goodbye. Duke had gone to his room to work on the game and Joey picked up the phone to call the only other person he cared about right now. Mai Valentine.


	20. The Comfort Of A Friend

Author Note: I do not own Yugioh or any of the characters from the show. I hope you enjoy this story and I look forward to seeing what people think of it. If you like it please R&R. I don't expect this to be a long story like my other two Yugioh fics, but I think it will be a fun ride as it moves along. Just a warning, this story will contain spoilers for Battle City and possibly the Noah's Virtual World saga. This fic has been beta read by Minor Arcana; a big thank you to her for all her help and advice on the story.

Dog Days Chapter Twenty: The Comfort Of A Friend

xoxox

Joey called Mai and waited for her to answer. It took her four rings, after which she greeted him anxiously. She wasn't sure if he still wanted her over or not, but Joey assured her that he did, so she told him she was almost ready to leave.

"I'll be there in about fifteen minutes, Joey. Ok?" she said sweetly.

"Ok, Mai; see you soon."

Since the store was still open, Joey didn't have to go unlock the door. He looked around his room but it was pretty clean. It would be the first time Mai stayed overnight and he was looking forward to it. He figured they'd order something for dinner and eat upstairs, then maybe sit and catch a movie on television.

Joey continued to make his bed and then changed into a new shirt before heading downstairs.

Duke was down in the activity room, holding a gaming session, so Joey knew he would be busy for awhile. He was glad that he'd been able to take him to see his dad and still have time to do what he'd planned months ago. The gaming sessions were held twice a month and people loved to watch him take on any challengers that were brave enough to attempt to beat him at his own game. To date, only one person had ever done such a thing and that was Yugi Moutou.

It wasn't long before Mai appeared. She came right up to Joey, who could see her face expressing her concern for him, which made him feel bad that this situation with his father was worrying her so much. He held her hand as they walked to the elevator, and once the doors closed he pulled her close and hugged her tight, resting his head on her shoulder. She returned his warm feelings by reaching around his neck and stroking his back softly. When the doors opened, he was reluctant to pull away so he reached over and held the doors open.

"Let's get out of here and go order something for dinner. You hungry, Mai?"

She shook her head, "No, not really. I'm more worried about you, hun. Are you ok? How did the visit go?"

He shrugged and led her into the room he now called his own, after which he closed the door behind him.

"It went as good as you could expect. He's awful sick and looks like hell. He's in a lot of pain too, but even so I couldn't stop thinking about him dying. He really is dying…"

Mai sighed and sat down on Joey's bed, patting the comforter next to her, indicating she wanted him to sit down, which he did.

"Death is never easy to face, Joey. I know it must be really hard on you right now, but one way to look at it is that his passing will be an end to his pain. That's how I dealt with it when my favorite aunt died. She had cancer too and suffered horribly for almost a year before she finally died."

Joey trembled and was afraid he would break down and cry, but he'd already done that in front of her before. His emotions had never frightened her before and he doubted they would even now. That was when he decided to let it out and he leaned into her side, resting his cheek on her shoulder, which gave her the opportunity to run her fingers through his hair. He reached for her other hand and she eagerly gave it to him as he began to sob.

"Oh Mai, I feel so damn bad for him. I wish there were something I could do. You know what he said? He is leaving the house to me and said he wants me to sell it to pay for college. Can you believe that? _College_?"

Mai nodded, "Sure I can, hun. Maybe now that he is facing death head on, he is coming to realize how bad he was to you and how you didn't deserve to be treated like that."

Joey agreed, "I think that's it exactly."

He clung to her and let some of his grief out and she held him through it all. He'd never been so grateful to not be alone as he was right now. He found comfort in her presence, one that he couldn't in any other person's. She was his girlfriend and she'd come to be here for him, knowing he would be pretty shaken up after seeing his dad in jail. He admired her so much; she wasn't afraid of anything and she took the bull by the horns, no matter the situation.

xoxox

"So, Jim, if you pay restitution for the injuries you gave your co-worker he's willing to drop the charges and you can be taken to a hospital since you are so sick you can't possibly take care of yourself anymore. As your lawyer, I highly advise you to take this offer; it's a one time deal."

The man in the gray and white pinstriped suit shifted position; he'd much rather be home with his wife, but then he was getting paid for his time so he tried not to care that he'd be late getting home once again.

"Fine, give me the pen and show me where to sign. I have had enough of this place. Not that hospital food will be any better, but at least I could get out and have a damn cigarette now and then," Jim muttered, as the man handed him his expensive silver ballpoint pen.

"Fine, you should be released to a hospital Monday morning now that I have these papers. I'll get them filed right away so that by Monday lunchtime you'll be in the Domino Oncology ward."

"Good, thank you for your hard work on this. I made an ass of myself and won't be repeating that mistake for as long as I live, which judging by the way I feel won't be that much longer."

The man held in a disgusted sigh, "Right, Mr. Wheeler. You just think about making your peace with whatever deity you pray to and being with your family these next few weeks."

He gestured to the guard and then stood to leave. Jim was in a wheelchair now; he'd walked when Joey had come but he'd used up all his strength doing so. He hated being in the chair, but it beat falling down and hurting himself so he let the guard help him out of the conference room and back to his cell in the infirmary where he was helped into bed and then soon fell asleep. His last thoughts were that his daughter would get to see him in a hospital instead of the damned jail and that made him smile.

xoxox

Joey brought the Chinese take out that had been delivered upstairs to Mai; they had decided to eat in the living room and watch television. He grinned at her when he came to sit next to her. Duke was still downstairs and the shop would be closing soon which meant he'd be the one to let the people out of the shop after the private gaming session. Joey had gotten him something, which he put aside. It was one of Duke's favorites, vegetable fried rice and sweet and sour pork. He'd gotten sweet and sour chicken for him and Mai, which they had some rice with.

They ate, watching a documentary on penguins that made them laugh because the little black and white birds were so agile underwater; it was precious to see them as they'd not been seen before.

After they'd finished eating, they got up. Joey put the leftovers, along with Duke's dinner, in the refrigerator before getting two sodas and heading with Mai back to his room. It was strange having her over, but he was glad not to be alone. She sat in his desk chair and took off her vest, hanging it over the back of the chair.

Joey moved over and put the cans of soda down on coasters. He'd enjoyed being able to be more neat and tidy with his room and it was a nice feeling to look down at her sitting there in the chair he usually sat in to chat with her online in. He leaned down and gently kissed her cheek, her hand came up behind his head and her fingers buried themselves in his hair, sending chills up his spine. He moved down to her bare shoulder and then the phone rang. He sighed and moved over to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Hi Joey, it's me, Serenity. Your little sister, remember? You sound like you're in the middle of something. I can call later."

"No, no it's fine, Sis. How are you?"

She sighed, "Oh, just wondering how it went tonight. You _did_ go see dad, right?"

Joey grimaced; he'd just gotten the visit out of his head and was starting to feel better when it all came flooding back to him like a ton of bricks.

"Yes I did. He's looking pretty rough, you know…"

"He still wants me to come visit him, doesn't he?" fear was evident in her voice.

"No, nothing like that. He wants to see you. It's just he isn't doing so good, you know?"

Serenity sighed again as Mai reached over to Joey's hand, understanding he was upset again.

"I am going to see him, I don't care how bad off he is, I know he's dying, big brother. But if he died before I got to see him I don't know what I'd do."

Joey squeezed Mai's hand, "He's hanging in there and I have no doubt he'll be around at least a couple of weeks. He was walking and all. Even if he looked a little shaky, he was walking."

And it was true; he'd seemed like he might fall over, but Jim had held his own. Joey figured he'd need to use a wheelchair soon, maybe even by the weekend if he steadily got worse. It would be harder on both him and Serenity to see him like that, but the alternative was out of the question. He was still their dad and they loved him, no matter what he'd done.

"That's good to hear. I'm sorry if I upset you, I just wanted to talk to you, is all. I'll talk to you next week, big brother. Thanks for being here for me."

Joey felt bad, but all he could do was tell her it would be ok, even if it wouldn't.

"It's gonna be all right, sis, you'll see. We'll get to go see him this weekend and you'll stay over. Hey! Maybe we can see a movie and Mai can come," Joey squeezed Mai's hand again and looked at her with a smile.

"Oh, that would be great, Joey! I'm looking forward to see you and the gang again soon. Bye!"

"Bye, Serenity." Joey waited until she'd hung up first before he laid the phone back in its cradle.

He was glad he had managed to end it on an upbeat, instead of her feeling insecure about getting to see their father before he died. Now the old guy had to hang in there long enough for her to get that chance to see him and say goodbye, even if it was just in her mind that she said the two painful words: goodbye daddy. They were two words Joey knew he'd be saying at their next meeting, but saying them in his head rather then aloud because it would only upset his dad, and the last thing Joey wanted to do was to upset his dad right now.

Mai turned around in the seat and Joey moved to sit on his bed. He tried to get the image out of his mind of his father walking away from him after the brief hug but couldn't. Mai scooted the chair over and rested her hands on Joey's knees. He reached to them and smiled. Looking into her eyes helped, he saw all the love she had for him there and he hoped she could see his for her in his own brown eyes. She sat up and moved to the bed next to him and soon they were kissing. All thoughts of his father had fallen out of his mind, replaced with thoughts of being with his girlfriend.

xoxox

Duke waved goodbye to the last of the people from the intense gaming session and locked the door behind them. He headed to the elevator, making a beeline for the kitchen. He hoped that there was something good in the refrigerator and he practically jumped up and down when he saw the take out boxes. He'd missed seeing Joey after they'd gotten back home, but it wasn't a surprise to him that his thoughtful roommate had ordered his favorite dish from the restaurant around the corner.

_Joey is always doing stuff like that, though. He's really one of the best friends I've ever had. _Duke thought to himself, as he took out the two boxes that practically had his name on them.

He went to get a plate and then dumping everything onto it before putting it all in the microwave to reheat it. Duke then went to get a soda and waited for the food to warm up. Tapping his foot impatiently Duke watched the plate spinning around and around in the microwave and he could hardly wait to get his fork into the vegetable fried rice and pork. After a minute went by, he pulled it out and grinned from ear to ear as he went out to the living room to turn on the television.

_Since Mai is over tonight, I don't mind just vegging out in front of the tube a bit. Joey needs to keep his mind off his troubles and Mai is just what the doctor ordered._

The phone rang and it was answered before Duke could wipe his hands on a napkin to get it himself. He paused and listened to see if it was for him, and when Joey didn't call out from his room he knew it had to be either Yugi or Serenity calling. Letting his attention go back to the plate of food, Duke began eating with great enjoyment. It was perfect and he hardly paid attention to the nature show that was on about snakes. It was only when one bit the host that he noticed and laughed so hard he nearly choked watching the snake chomping into the arm of the host. It was non-venomous, of course, or it wouldn't have been funny or aired on television for that matter.

He laughed hard at that host grimacing and thought that he'd never pick up a snake like that himself. He thought they were neat to look at, but one that could bite was not one he would ever contemplate picking up. He coughed until he cleared his throat and then began eating again. These gaming sessions he held always ran past dinnertime. Although had he not been taking Joey, he'd have had time to eat, but being there for his friend was more important then his need to eat. And his reward was his favorite meal.

Duke felt really good as he finished off his last bits of rice and sweet and sour pork, and he switched channels to something else.

Not finding anything worth watching he got up and washed the plate and fork off, placing them in the drying rack before washing his hands and drying them thoroughly and then he headed to his room. He had a lot of work to do and he knew that Joey would probably not be in need of his company tonight. Booting up his computer Duke sighed and sat down relaxing for a moment as he watched the desktop come to life with the screenshot of Orgoth the Relentless, one of his favorite monsters. As the booting sequence finished he loaded his media player and put on his headphones.

_If Joey needs me he can knock hard on the door since he knows I wear these when I am working like this. _He grinned, thinking about Joey with his lovely girlfriend.

As much as Duke liked Mai and thought that she and Joey made a nice couple, he himself couldn't imagine being in a committed relationship at this point in his life. That didn't mean he couldn't enjoy being around Serenity when she came over next weekend though, but he was sure Tristan would be coming by to visit as he always did whenever Serenity was in town. He wasn't as annoyed by this as one might think because he knew Serenity had a crush on him and thought of Tristan only as a friend.

But as much as he might want to take her out, he knew that she was too young for him still. He let his mind get absorbed into his work and soon he was lost in thought as he worked on the new game. Seto had sent over a file in email so he opened it, reading the email that asked him to contact him when he got online. Duke loaded his instant messaging program and soon he was in a chat with the young CEO himself. It seemed that Seto needed his approval on the plot and Duke smiled into the camera as Seto looked on.

"Sounds good to me, Seto. I think it's a great idea having the guide offer choices of adventures either in the forest or towards the castle leading to the dungeon."

Seto nodded, "I had thought you'd approve, but before I went any further with it I needed to know for sure about the forest idea as we'd only discussed it briefly in our last net meeting."

Duke fingered a lock of his hair and nodded, "I definitely like the idea and think creating a Robin Hoodish character for them to face would be a nice touch. Go with it, I wanted to send over some drawings I did of the dungeon so here they come."

Seto accepted the file transfer moments later. Soon he was looking over the pictures, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"These are exceptional, Duke, as always you prove to be a fine artist. I'll get these over to my rendering team and they can get to work on the dungeon specifics from these. That was all I had for now, so if you don't have anything else I am signing off," came the compliment, and then the farewell that was all too familiar.

Duke waved and shook his head, "Nope that was it for today Seto. Have a good night and I will be up if you need anything."

Seto smiled and then closed his end of the video chat, leaving Duke with his work.

_I'm glad he liked the drawings and I think his idea of having a forest challenge is promising._

Hours passed and finally Duke had to go to bed. He shut down his computer and headed off to the bathroom to brush his teeth and take a shower. After blowing his hair dry, Duke went back to his bedroom and was sleeping within ten minutes of getting into his pajamas and into his bed. Dreaming about the game he had such high hopes for.


	21. Good News Travels Fast

Author Note: I do not own Yugioh or any of the characters from the show. I hope you enjoy this story and I look forward to seeing what people think of it. If you like it please R&R. I don't expect this to be a long story like my other two Yugioh fics, but I think it will be a fun ride as it moves along. Just a warning, this story will contain spoilers for Battle City and possibly the Noah's Virtual World saga. This fic has been beta read by Minor Arcana; a big thank you to her for all her help and advice on the story.

Dog Days Chapter Twenty-One: Good News Travels Fast

xoxox

Monday morning came painfully slow for Jim. But true to his word the lawyer did his part and it was sometime after breakfast that he was taken from his cell by wheelchair and driven in a van over to Domino Hospital. He hated that Daniel, the chump he'd punched, must have had heard he was dying and had pity on him to drop the charges as he had. One thing Jim Wheeler hated was being thought of as someone deserving of another's pity. But as he sat strapped down in the wheelchair in a wheelchair transport van he knew deep down that he was pitiful and he hated himself for it.

_It is just my luck that I get out of there only to go die in a hospital. At least my little girl can come see me there, instead of going through what Joey did seeing me in jail._

Jim groaned in pain as the van bounced him around as they hit a series of bumps in the road. He couldn't wait to get to the hospital and get some more pain medication. While Jim was glad to be out of jail, he figured that some of his co-workers might try to come visit him, and that bothered him. The last thing in the world he wanted was to see that pig Daniel again. He'd had enough of that guy to last him the rest of his days, even that was only two weeks or two months, he didn't ever want to see him again.

After arriving at the hospital Jim was taken to the Oncology ward where they left him in a room by himself. There was an empty bed next to his own, but there were also flowers and stuffed animals so he got the feeling that someone else was in the room, but just wasn't in it right now. He tried to rest, but his back hurt really badly so he ended up on his side cringing as waves of pain hit him until the pain medication they'd given him began to take effect. After that he fell asleep and he didn't wake up until dinnertime, not caring that he'd slept through lunch.

xoxox

At school Joey was restless. He really wanted to spare his sister the embarrassment of seeing their father in jail as he'd had to. He couldn't think of any way to make that happen though, so he sighed and tried to pay attention to the teacher. Yugi had told the rest of the gang about his father's situation. At least Joey hoped he had, only mentioning the cancer part and not telling them about his being in jail. But he couldn't be sure if Yugi had said anything about that or not until lunchtime. From the looks Tristan and Tea gave him he figured Yugi hadn't mentioned that his dad was in jail.

When class finally ended and it was lunchtime Joey found he couldn't stop thinking about Mai. She had a photo shoot today for a fashion magazine and he missed her a lot. She'd been wonderful to stay over with him until she had to leave Sunday to get ready for her shoot today. His cell phone rang from inside his back pocket, so he answered it quickly. It was Mai of course and she'd just wanted to check in with him to make sure he was all right. He smiled as he told her he was fine, looking around to see that he wasn't being listened to by anyone in particular.

Yugi was in line with him as was the rest of the gang, but they knew about his and Mai's relationship so that wasn't a problem. He told her he'd call her later or meet up with her online since he had to work and she said she'd be waiting. Then he turned off his phone and put it back in his pocket, glad it hadn't gone off in class since he'd thought it was turned off. Joey sighed as the lunch line moved slowly along, with Yugi finally able to get his tray and start through the assembly line of foods. Joey followed suit as did their other friends, but Duke was already sitting at their table waiting for them holding their seats.

Joey and the rest of the gang filed over after getting their lunches, sitting down in the same order they usually did. Yugi sat next to Joey who was across from Duke, with Bakura at his side and Tea on his other across from Tristan. The six of them always sat together at lunchtime and that was when they did the majority of their talking and setting up plans for the weekend or weeknights. Though Joey and Duke ended up working many weeknights together anymore so weeknight get togethers at the arcade were far and few between.

Tea smiled at Joey and tried to break the ice first.

"So Joey, how are things with Mai these days?" she asked.

Joey grinned, "Just fine Tea, thanks for asking. She's at a photo shoot right now and that was her that called me when we were in line."

_As if you already couldn't tell Mrs. Gotta get into everyone's business._ Joey added mentally.

He knew she meant well but it was annoying sometimes how she'd state the obvious at times just to have something to say. Bakura was next to speak but it was directed at Yugi.

"So how are things at the game shop Yugi?"

"Fine, we just got another shipment in of some really decent cards. If you want to check them out we can walk home together today if you want to."

Bakura nodded, "That sounds great Yugi, I'd love to get some new cards and I happened to bring a twenty with me today so I can get some packs or maybe a couple special cards if something strikes my fancy."

Yugi grinned and then everyone at the table fell silent. Joey held in a sigh that he felt over his friends feeling awkward about talking to him today. It wasn't like he _had changed_, it was his **father** who was dying and yet it looked like they were at a funeral by the somber expressions everyone wore as they ate. Joey finished his pizza and made an excuse up that he was going to go to the bathroom and he took his tray over to the garbage can, dumped the paper plate with its bland vegetables before sliding the tray onto the pass through that led back into the kitchen.

He sighed and then left the cafeteria behind heading for the bathroom. He didn't really have to go but he figured he could find some peace in there if there weren't any guys in there smoking. He hated it when guys would sit in there and smoke because it made you smell like the foul stuff even if you were not smoking, since it quickly filled up the bathroom. Luckily though it was deserted so he went into a stall and sat down, squatting on his feet on the seat itself so that if anyone came in they wouldn't think anyone was in there.

Images of his father shuffling away from him the other evening came back to him and he fought tears. He pulled his phone out of his back pocket and turned it on, about to call Mai, but then he decided against it and put it back into his pocket. He sighed heavily and wished he could go see his dad again sooner then the coming weekend. He missed him now that he knew he wasn't going to be around much longer and it hurt not being able to see him when he knew that he was in pain. Even if he'd been cold and cruel to Joey, he was still his dad and he'd love him in spite of the bad things he'd done.

After about ten minutes he got up and left the bathroom and headed back to the hall where his locker was to get his books for the rest of the day. He was rather tired, but it was more tired of being in school then physical fatigue. The bell rang and he headed off to his next class, psychology, it was a class he loathed because Kaiba was in it. But then he had Kaiba in three classes, this being the last one of the day that he had to put up with the _oh so full of himself_ CEO thankfully. So he went to the room it was held in and took his seat, hating that there were three classes left altogether before he got to go home.

xoxox

After Joey and Duke got home they both got ready for the evening shift as they both were working together tonight because one of the employees had called in sick with the flu. Joey was up front while Duke was working elsewhere in the store and helping customers when the phone rang. It was after six and Joey thought nothing of it as he answered it.

"Hello Black Crown Game Shop, can I help you?"

"Uh yes I'm looking for my son Joey. Is that you Joey?" came the voice of his father.

Joey choked and answered, "Dad? Hi, how come you're not calling collect? Everything ok?"

Jim chuckled, "Yeah son everything is fine. I got moved to Domino Hospital, the cancer floor and wanted to tell you my room number. It's 343, so you can come see me here next time."

"Wow Dad, you got out and they moved you there huh?"

"That's what I just got through saying isn't it? Now be sure you let your sister know I'm out of there and in a better place. The doctor here said I probably got a couple of weeks at least but I think he don't understand we Wheelers are stubborn sons ofbitches and don't let people push us around," Jim's voice was cocky, a tone he knew all too well and Joey rolled his eyes.

"Yeah well Serenity will be glad to hear you're there now, I will call her and tell her your room number. Can we come see you this weekend still?"

Jim coughed and cleared his throat, "Yup, anytime is fine as long as it's before eight-thirty. That is when visiting hours end."

Joey smiled, relieved his father wasn't in jail any longer.

"Ok Dad, I'll make sure we get down to see you Friday night before visiting hours are over. I'm glad you called to let me know."

"Sure thing son. Now you get back to work, I didn't expect you to answer but I guess it was meant to be. I know that dark haired friend of yours that came to court with you don't like me too much. Can't say as I blame him after all the crap I did to you, but you don't got to be afraid of me no more. But I better get off the phone and let you go," Jim said quietly, obviously feeling remorse over how bad he'd hurt Joey.

"It's ok Dad, I am glad you called. I'll talk to you soon. Bye," Joey replied hoping that the old man didn't beat himself up over the past too badly.

"Bye Joey."

That he felt bad about how he treated Joey was enough for him. He'd already forgiven him and was ready to move on. Just as he hung up someone came up to the counter with a game they wanted to buy. Joey smiled and rang up the game for them and looked over to where Duke was. Duke was working a small crowd of girls who were drooling over him making Joey's smile deepen. He admired how Duke was able to acquire new fan girls almost on a daily basis. After the customer left, Joey moved over to the chair behind the computer and sat down.

They'd run a mile in gym class today and he was sore. He was good in gym at least and usually ended up with a "B" for his overall grade whereas poor Yugi was lucky to get a "C" so he knew Yugi was sore too if he himself was. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed up the number to the Kame game shop and hoped Yugi would answer. After two rings Yugi's grandpa answered and Joey asked if Yugi was there. Mr. Moutou said he was and asked Joey to hold on while he told him he had a phone call.

"Yugi! Joey's on the phone!"

Joey grinned and waited for Yugi to pick up which wasn't long.

"Hi Joey! What's up?" Yugi's cheerful voice greeted him.

"Oh I just wanted to see how you were feeling. Your legs hurting like mine are?"

Yugi laughed, "Yeah probably worse because mine are shorter then yours Joey. But aren't you working tonight?"

"Yup, but guess what? Dad called, he's in Domino Hospital instead of jail. They moved him there so he is probably going to end up staying there until…well the end I guess."

"Oh, well that's better then jail right?" Yugi asked trying to sound hopeful.

Joey agreed, "Yeah I think so, but he probably doesn't care except that he can get out to smoke from the hospital. I hate smoking."

"I do too, but it's not like it's going to matter much if he does, so try not to let it bother you too much Joey."

Joey sighed, "No it doesn't really bother me that much, I mean I've been away from him for awhile so I am just glad we don't have to go back to that damn jail to see him this weekend."

"Is your sister still coming over?"

Joey grinned at this, "Yes she sure is. I am glad Dad got out of that place so she didn't have to see him in there like I did. It was pretty awful."

"Yeah it scared me just sitting in the parking lot honestly Joey. I couldn't have made it inside I don't think."

Joey silently agreed that Yugi wouldn't have been able to get past the guards, not that he was afraid of people, but the jail was just not someplace you wanted to be unless you deserved to be there. Trying to change the subject Joey asked how the visit with Bakura went.

"Oh he got a few packs of cards and hung out awhile and then went home. It was fine. Listen I better let you go Joey I don't want to get you in trouble with Duke or anything."

Joey smiled, "No problem Yugi, I just wanted to share with you the news about my dad. Have a good one bro'."

"Bye Joey, talk to you later."

And then Yugi hung up the phone, while Joey turned off his cell phone and putit in his back pocket. He was glad his father was out of jail but he wasn't going to call his sister just yet. He wanted to make sure that it wasn't some kind of mistake and that he was still there Thursday. Besides her knowing wouldn't make much difference, although it might make her feel better that he wasn't in jail anymore.

After thinking about it some more he decided he'd go ahead and call her when he was up in his room later. The shop didn't close until nine so he had two hours left to go before he got off duty for the night. About an hour later Duke came up and Joey told him about the call from his father and Duke looked pleasantly surprised. It was slow so they closed up about fifteen minutes early and Joey waited for Duke to let the last employee out before they both headed upstairs.

Duke went to his room and Joey went to his own room, thinking about his sister. He sat on the desk chair and turned on his computer, thinking that he would chat with Mai after he got done talking with Serenity. He picked up the phone and dialed the number to his sister's cell phone. It rang and after the third ring she answered. He was grateful she had that phone and that their mother had let him get it for her. It made things easier on him so that if he didn't want to talk to their mother he could call her and she could call him back.

"Oh hi Joey, I'll call you back on your phone from my room let me just get in there…" he could hear muffled background noise and thought she must have been watching television or something from the sound of it.

"Take your time Serenity. No hurry. I'm in my room so call the game shop and I'll answer," he replied, already having told Duke she'd be calling him back.

"Ok, I'll be just a minute big brother, talk to you then!"

He chuckled as he hung up the phone and sat waiting for her call. Her enthusiasm was charming and he was grateful things had worked out so that she didn't have to go to the jail to visit their father. He was thinking about Mai when the phone rang and he quickly snatched up the receiver and answered it knowing it was his sister.

"Hi Joey, what's up?" she asked.

He smiled, "Oh I got some good news, Dad is in Domino Hospital now, room 343. They let him out of jail so you don't have to go there to visit him and we can stay as long as we like."

"Oh that's great Joey. I'm so glad to hear that. To be honest I was having a real problem working up the courage to go to the jail. I am so relieved I don't have to now. Hospitals are much easier, but I bet he hates it anyway."

Joey sighed, he knew what she meant. But what Serenity might not have known was that their father had wanted to see her when she was in the hospital except their mother had absolutely forbidden it. Things had really gotten bad back then for Joey as his father had taken it out on him, both the fact he couldn't go see her and that he hadn't been the one to come up with the money for her surgery.

"It's going to be ok Sis. He is dying any way we look at it, but at least it will be there instead of jail. I think he will just be happy to see you, it's been over five years I think. Anyway forget about that, I just wanted to let you know he called me and told me he got moved today and I knew you'd want to know."

Serenity sighed, "I can't forget about it though big brother. I know Mom thinks she's done the right thing but I miss him. I can't help thinking it could have worked out differently if she'd just been a little more forgiving sometimes."

"Yeah well you know Mom Serenity. She knows best so don't think badly of her for wanting to do what she feels is right for you."

Joey said thinking how mad he'd gotten over this very thing over the years, and how he'd fought with their mom to try to get her to ease up and at least let their father at least see Serenity. But the stubbornness didn't just come from his father's side of the family; their mom was pretty darn stubborn herself. He bit his tongue to keep from saying anything that would inflame the situation because he wasn't sure if their mom had picked up and was listening in. He wouldn't put something like that past her; she was _that_ overprotective over Serenity. But when it came to Joey himself she seemed not to care much about what happened to him at all.

"Ok, you're right, I know you are Joey. Listen I better go I bet you have homework needing done but I'm glad you called. We're still on for Friday right?"

"Definitely, do you want Mai and I to pick you up?" he asked.

She giggled, "Oh yeah that would be great! I can't wait to see Mai again. Ok, talk to you later then big brother, bye!"

He smiled, there was that contagious enthusiasm of hers again, "Ok bye Serenity."

He hung up the phone after hearing two clicks, which confirmed his suspicion about their mother listening in. He jumped up from his desk pacing the room angrily. He was pissed that she'd listen to their conversation like that. Well next time he had something to say he'd tell her to stay on the damned cell phone! At least that way they'd be assured of more privacy then the regular phone offered. He felt like kicking something or hitting something and he caught sight of himself in his dresser mirror and then he calmed down.

_No, Dad is the one who breaks stuff, not me. I may be pissed at you Mom, but I am not going to let you push me over the edge like you not letting Dad see Serenity pushed him over the edge._

He ran his hands through his hair and felt his heart racing in his chest. He was just so furious at her at the moment that he didn't know what to do. So he did nothing. He knew that talking to Mai might help so he went to get a soda. Joey headed back to his room and loaded his instant messaging program and saw she was already online so he sent her a chat invitation. She soon accepted it and he saw her pretty face on the screen, as she posed for him.

"Hey handsome, how's it going?"

Joey winked at his web cam, "Oh it's going ok, how was the shoot?"

"Exciting, I was posing next to a tiger for some makeup ad. It was really neat. I have a few souvenir photos that are just awesome."

Joey grinned, then he looked down at his desk. He needed to get it off his chest and the sooner the better.

"Hey Mai? My dad called tonight. He got out of jail and is in Domino hospital. I just got off the phone with my sister and we were talking about next weekend."

Mai perked up at the mention of Serenity, "Oh really? That's good news Joey, he'll be much better off in the hospital. So is your mother dropping her off or are we going to get to go pick her up?"

Joey grinned slyly and rubbed his chin as if he was thinking while Mai fidgeted in her chair obviously wanting to be there to pick Serenity up.

"I don't know, my mom was listening in but she didn't _say anything_."

Mai's face fell instantly, "She _what?_ She was _listening_ to your phone conversation without Serenity's or _your permission_? I mean I know she's your mother but that is _just wrong_."

Joey frowned, "Tell me about it. I was pretty upset about it. I'm **still** upset actually. She couldn't talk to **me** but she can sit there and _listen_ to what I am talking about with my sister like that. I don't think Serenity even knew she was listening either, that is what gets me the most. I know how her mind works unfortunately."

Mai frowned and put her elbows on her desk and rested her chin on her linked fingers, while Joey sat there with rage boiling over again that his mother would do that to his sister. Then he took a deep breath, counted to ten silently and it was over. He let it go as he looked at his lovely girlfriend, he counted all the ways he was lucky, and suddenly his mother and her underhanded tactics of trying to protect Serenity no longer mattered.

"So yes, we're going to pick her up unless Mom says something to the opposite which I doubt because Serenity was pretty excited about getting to see you again."

Mai smiled and unlinked her hands, putting them on her cheeks resting her chin on the heels of her palms.

"That is great Joey, I can't wait to see her. I think about her a lot too, I want to make sure we take a lot of photos so she has some to take home with her," Mai said with some excitement.

"Yeah that will be nice Mai. But we might want to wait until Saturday before we do that. She is bound to be upset about seeing Dad, so the next day would be better. Can you take us to the hospital too? You don't have to go in and see him or anything but he'd be happy to meet you."

Mai frowned, "No I don't want to meet him, but I will take you both, no problem. She does know about 'us' right?"

Joey laughed, "Of course she does Mai, do you think I would **not** tell her about how happy being _with you_ makes me?"

"No…I just…never mind, I am being silly. I just had a thought that maybe you were embarrassed about our relationship, like admitting it to her or something."

Mai looked sad for a moment but then she smiled at her web cam, "Forget about it hun."

"I think I know what you're getting at and I am not that kind of a guy Mai. I am very proud of you and I am not ashamed to admit it to the world. Whoever pulled that crap on you in the past was a real jerk."

Mai sighed, "Yes he was…Thanks hun, for understanding."

Joey winked, "I'm the one who should be thanking you for all your understanding. Don't worry about it. I wish you were here, I'd show you how grateful I am to be with you."

She laughed and he smiled as they continued chatting for another twenty minutes, flirting casually and finally Joey had to go so he blew her a kiss which she caught and blew one back to him before they ended their chat. Then Joey went to the bathroom to get ready for bed. He felt like he was the luckiest guy in the world to be with Mai and he couldn't imagine the kind of jerk who would ever be so mean as to try to make her feel bad over being beautiful. To him she was the most beautiful girl around and he loved her with all his heart.

All the anger that he felt towards his mother was gone, replaced by love overflowing from being so close to Mai even if they weren't in the same room, the web cams made it feel like they were and it was better then he could ever have imagined. Before he'd come to live with Duke he'd had no idea just what computers were really capable of in terms of bringing people closer together, but he'd caught on quickly and made good use of the technology at his disposal. He was so glad he and Duke had gotten closer.

He knew that he was probably his best friend and Duke himself was right up there with Yugi in Joey's list of best friends. As he went back to his room, Joey looked and saw a light on under Duke's door so he knocked softly, then waited. After a few moments of silence he knocked harder, then he heard Duke call out from beyond his door to come on in. Joey grasped the doorknob and twisted it open, pushing the door inward before greeting his friend. Duke pulled his headphones away from his ear, resting them behind them on his head.

"Hey Joey, what's up?"

Joey smiled from the doorway, still holding the knob, "Hey Duke. I just wanted to come in and say thank you for everything you've done for me. I can't imagine what it would be like if I had stayed there. It was really getting bad and you stuck your neck out for me man. I appreciate that more then I can ever say in words."

Duke took off the headphones and stood up, then he came over to Joey smiling, "Aw Joey, it's nothing, really. We're friends man, I couldn't just sit by and let that continue once I realized what was going on and I know it was probably worse then you'd ever admit out loud."

Duke reached to Joey's shoulder and added, "You're that kind of guy and I admire you. You're loyal, you're hardworking, there are so many good things about you I couldn't just stand by and see all that destroyed. I know how it can be to have a dad who is physically abusive. Mine wasn't the best either, but we just have to shrug it off and move on. Like **you** have."

Joey nodded, "Well I just wanted to come in here and thank you for being my friend and for being here for me tonight. I know Serenity is pretty excited about coming over next weekend so I wanted to make sure you knew just how much you mean to me and how much I appreciate all that you've done. You have faith in me, like Mai does and that helps _empower_ me _to_ **move** on. Thank you Duke, thank you for being such a good friend to me."

"Hey, that's what friends are for right?" Duke squeezed Joey's shoulder and then pulled his hand away smiling broadly at Joey.

"Yes it's true, that's what friends do for each other, so you just know that if you ever need anything I'll be there for you."

Duke nodded and went back to sit back down, "I know Joey, I know you will."

Joey nodded, "Well I am off to bed, sleep well Duke, good night."

Duke raised a hand and waved, "You sleep well too Joey, good night."

Joey smiled as he headed back to his room. He felt so good to be here with Duke. It would be weird to sell the house, but it would be for the best. It entered his mind that his mother and sister could move in there and that way they'd be closer and she could go to school where he did. But he knew that would probably never happen, his mother had moved away purposely to put physical distance between Jim and herself and Serenity. Pushing the daydream away Joey entered his room and turned off his computer, then he turned off the light and took off his clothes down to his underwear.

One of the best things about living here was that he could sleep in his underwear if he wanted to and he didn't have to worry about anyone walking in on him and beating the crap out of him because of it. Which his father had before telling him he was being indecent and Joey shrugged the memory of it off, calling up the image of Mai smiling at him over the net earlier. He'd have to see if Duke would mind if Mai stayed over Friday night when Serenity was over because he knew that would make Serenity and Mai both very happy to have a girl's night in to play around with nail polish and do their hair. That was the last thought he had as he drifted off to sleep, the two of them doing girly things and having fun.

xoxox

Author's Note, I think we have** three** more chapters left before this story is wrapped up so I hope you all are satisfied with the way it's turning out. I am really pleased with the way it's been going and look forward to finishing it. If you haven't reviewed yet I would ask you to leave a short one if you can and liked the story, because that is what fuels my writing. I only got two reviews on the last chapter and I really am interested in what people are thinking about this story. I do accept anonymous reviews so please if you liked _"Dog Days" _I would love to hear from you.


	22. Serenity Comes Over

Author Note: I do not own Yugioh or any of the characters from the show. I hope you enjoy this story and I look forward to seeing what people think of it. If you like it please R&R. I don't expect this to be a long story like my other two Yugioh fics, but I think it will be a fun ride as it moves along. Just a warning, this story will contain spoilers for Battle City and possibly the Noah's Virtual World saga. This fic has been beta read by Minor Arcana; a big thank you to her for all her help and advice on the story.

Dog Days Chapter Twenty-Two: Serenity Comes Over

xoxox

The days passed by until finally it was Friday. Mai picked Joey up from school and they headed out of town into Maples to pick up Serenity. Joey called her on her cell phone before they left to make sure it was still all right for them to go get her and she said it was fine. She'd be at the library and to get her there. She'd brought a second backpack with her clothes and things she needed to spend the weekend with them. It wasn't going to be easy to get through the visit with Jim, but Joey was prepared to help his sister through it however he could.

They were almost to the library; Joey had downloaded and printed up a map so they knew right where they needed to go, and Mai was smiling singing along with the song on the radio. Joey was tapping his foot holding the map and watching out for the street they needed to turn onto. When he saw it he pointed it out to Mai and she got in the right turn lane to make the upcoming right they needed that would take them to the Maples Library. After she stopped at the light, she waited for it to change before making the turn and then they were moments away from picking up Serenity.

Joey was getting excited because he hadn't seen his sister since the last time Duke and he had picked her up to stay the weekend a few weeks ago. She had had a great time and Joey had enjoyed having her so close. Mai was staying over again and she would share a room with Serenity. Joey had already asked Duke about it and Duke had been fine with the idea. Joey also knew that he had some things to get done with regard to the house. He had to have his father sign it over to him and to get cleaning up and repairing the holes in the walls, so that he could see about getting it sold. But that could wait until after Serenity left.

He had no desire to live there again and he knew that his mother wouldn't want to either. He'd already had the utilities shut off so now it was just a matter of time before the house went on the market and was presented to a new owner. He thought about that as the library came into view. Mai giggled and turned the radio off, she was practically bouncing in her seat she was so eager to see Joey's little sister again. It had been since Battle City when she'd last seen her. Mai had had a photo shoot on an island the weekend that Serenity had spent at the Black Crown with Duke and Joey, so this was bound to be a great weekend once they got over the hump of seeing their father.

"Boy you really can't wait to see her huh Mai?"

Mai nodded and turned into the library parking lot, "I am so excited, I know it's not going to be easy for her seeing your father so ill, but I'll help get her mind off it later tonight. I brought some makeup and nail polish and all kinds of things for us to play around with. I'm really looking forward to seeing her."

Mai parked the car and Joey leaned over, putting his hand on Mai's cheek before leaning over to kiss her gently on the lips as they wouldn't be showing that kind of affection in front of Serenity. It would have to last them both for a few hours, until they could sneak off for a moment to be alone. Then he got out and headed up to the library entrance just as Serenity came out. She waved and came up to Joey holding two backpacks. Joey took them from her and gave her a big hug.

"Hi Sis, you're looking good. How are you today?"

She grinned, "I'm just great big brother. Thanks for having me over like this. Mom said she'd come get me Sunday afternoon so you don't have to worry about getting me home."

"It wouldn't be a problem for Mai and I to bring you home you know. Anyway let's get going. We want to get dinner before going to see Dad if that's ok with you."

She nodded, "It's fine with me, I hope he's doing ok. I have been so worried…"

Joey hugged her again, "It's ok Sis, he's not going to beat this and we have to understand that it wasn't found in time. He's not going to be bouncing back from this and we have to accept it."

She sniffled a little and hugged him hard, "I know, it's just so sad that only now do I get to see him. Mother was really nonchalant about it all, but I was devastated by the news. I wish you'd been the one to tell me about it Joey."

Joey sighed and released her, "Me too Sis, but Mom told me she wanted to be the one to tell you so I couldn't do anything but abide by her wishes even if I didn't agree with them."

Holding her backpacks in one hand he led the way to Mai's car and upon seeing Mai she waved to her. Joey opened the passenger door and tilted the seat forward so that Serenity had room to get in the back seat and then he waited until she was in before passing her backpacks to her. It was really hot outside and Mai had the air conditioner cranked in the car so that they wouldn't be sweating so badly.

"Hi Serenity! How are you doing hun?"

"I'm doing great Mai! So good to see you again," Serenity said as she scooted towards the middle of the seat so she could be in the middle of it right behind both Joey and Mai.

"I'm glad to see you again too Serenity. What do you say we go grab a bite to eat?" Mai replied coolly.

Joey chimed in, "How about Burger World?"

Serenity bounced up and down in the back seat, "Oh that sounds great! Will any of the gang be there you think Joey?"

Joey shook his head, "I don't think so Sis, but we can still go in and have a good time and catch up with the rest of the gang later. Sound good?"

She nodded, "Sounds good to me big brother."

Mai turned the radio back on and they pulled out of the library parking lot. Soon they were back in Domino and pulling up to Burger World. They went inside and waited in line to get their order taken. After they had their food they went to a booth and sat down, Joey next to his sister and Mai sitting across from them. They chatted about the good times they'd had during the Battle City tournament as they ate and before long they were back in Mai's car heading for the Black Crown.

xoxox

Around six Mai, Joey and Serenity went to the hospital. Mai waited for them in the waiting room as Joey and Serenity went to the Oncology floor where they knew their father was staying. When the elevator opened up and they were on the third floor they both got out and Serenity reached for Joey's hand, squeezing it tightly for support. Joey turned and smiled at her as they approached the room Jim was in, 343.

Joey whispered, "It's going to be a shock to see him Serenity, but we won't stay too long if you don't want to. You just let me know you're ready to go by telling Dad you want to let him get his rest ok?"

She nodded and then they rounded the corner seeing Jim in the first bed Serenity choked.

"Well hi there baby girl. Hello son. Good to see you both."

Joey nodded, "Good to see you Dad. You're looking good. I bet the food is a little better in here huh?"

"Hi Daddy, I-I missed you so much…" Serenity managed to get out.

"Come here and give your old man a hug Serenity," Jim said as he opened his arms in the hopes that she would embrace him.

Serenity hesitated only for a moment and then she came around the side of the bed and quickly pulled the bed rail down and went into his arms. She was sobbing and he held her there talking softly to her, asking her not to cry for him. Joey just stood there and held his father's gaze over the figure of his sister. He could see tears forming in the eyes of his father and it was obvious how hurt he'd been over not being able to see her all those lost years.

"It's ok honey, I'm still here. I'm sorry I wasn't able to come when you were here last time, but I thought about you every day. Not a day goes by that I don't imagine your sweet face smiling at me."

Joey smiled at Jim, "That goes for me too Sis, we both miss you when you're not here."

Jim nodded and released her hoping she'd back away, his back was aching pretty badly and he did his best to hide it, but Joey could see the sweat forming on his forehead and figured it was pain setting in. Joey then looked at the clock just as a nurse entered the room.

"Mr. Wheeler? Would you like your pain medication now or shall I come back?" asked the red head.

"No now is fine, thank you ma'am."

Serenity backed away as if Jim might break and she'd just released how hard she'd been hugging him. The nurse came around the other side of the bed and held out a paper cup with some water and a little plastic one that had several pills in it. He took them from her and tipping the plastic cup into his mouth he then downed the water quickly. Then he handed them both back to the nurse who took them and smiled as she left the room.

"Are you in a lot of pain Daddy?" Serenity asked.

He nodded, "Yes honey this dying stuff hurts a lot. I should have gone to a doctor years ago and I wouldn't be hurting like this today. But don't be like me. Make sure you go to the doctor and get check ups. Ok sweetheart?"

Joey had to admit his father was on good behavior now, maybe being here for a few days had changed him somehow. The bed next to his father's was empty and Joey wondered how long it would be before they assigned another person to this room. He glanced at the garbage can and saw dead flowers sticking up from it. It made him shiver as he thought that perhaps the previous occupant hadn't left alive and that Jim probably wouldn't leave alive either.

They stayed awhile longer before Serenity gave the signal she was ready to go by saying it was time to let him get his rest, so after another big hug, and one for Joey they left Jim there. Joey knew Serenity was shaken up pretty badly, but it was better that she start to get prepared to say goodbye to their father because there was nothing that could save him short of a miracle and they'd already had one miracle in the family by Serenity's eyesight being saved.

After thanking the nurses they headed to the elevator and back to the waiting room where Mai was sitting reading a magazine. She got up as soon as she saw them and Serenity asked her if she'd mind taking her to the bathroom before they left. Mai looked at Joey and smiled before telling Serenity it was over towards the snack bar, then she led the way. Joey followed them over to the bathrooms and went into the men's room while they went into the ladies room. He hated that his sister was in shock but he knew she was.

_'At least Mai is in there with her, I am going to go sit down and wait for them.' _Joey thought as he washed his hands in the men's room.

He then went and pulled out some paper towels and dried his hands before pitching the crumpled paper into the trashcan. Joey sighed as he pushed the door open and went to a nearby chair to sit and wait for Mai and his sister to return. It was about ten minutes later before they appeared, Serenity looked sad still, but she looked like she felt better then when they'd left their father's room. Mai had her arm around the young girl's shoulders and she was smiling at Joey. They came over and Joey stood up.

"Are you ok Serenity?" he asked feeling stupid for asking.

"Yeah, I'll be fine big brother, let's go to your place."

Joey wasn't sure she would be fine though and he knew that he was having trouble with the idea of their father dying, but for Serenity it was like she got him back only to have him taken away again. It was almost too much to bear thought Joey as he held Mai's hand as they walked next to his little sister. She seemed to be dragging her feet and Mai looked over at her more then once with a sympathetic expression. He gathered that she had a lot planned for them both and he hoped that being with Mai might cheer Serenity up.

They got to her car and then all got in. After they got back to the Black Crown, Duke came up to Serenity to get a hug and to express his condolences about Jim's grim situation. She thanked him for his concern and for letting her stay over again. He winked and said it was no trouble at all, then he took her two backpacks and looked at Joey who was carrying a huge overnight bag Mai had packed, slung over his shoulder. Duke then led the way to the elevator and they all got inside as it lifted them up to the second floor.

"So did you get something to eat already?" asked Duke.

Joey nodded, "Yeah we went by Burger World awhile ago, but I could eat again. What about you two ladies?"

Serenity shook her head as did Mai, "No I think that Serenity and I have some girl stuff we could be doing so why don't you boys get a pizza or whatever you want. We'll be fine."

Serenity agreed and smiled, "Yeah I don't need anything either, but I sure do want to have you put some makeup on me Mai."

Mai giggled, "You will look gorgeous my darling. You'll see, I got some cool photographs taken of me earlier this week and I got one signed with your name on it Serenity. That and I want to take some pictures of us later after we get all dolled up."

Joey grinned, "You just let me know when Mai and I will gladly take them."

The elevator opened and they got out, going to the empty guestroom next to Joey's room, and both he and Duke put down the bags they carried onto the bed. Mai said she'd take it over from there and then Duke and Joey left them alone. As soon as the door was closed she giggled and Serenity did too. Mai was just what Serenity needed to get her mind off of her troubles. She and Mai were locked in the guestroom for hours before they finally came out. Mai had put a really sexy halter top on Serenity with a short miniskirt that made Joey squeamish just thinking of what their mother would say if she ever saw her wearing those clothes.

He couldn't voice how he felt though, not directly.

"Wow Sis, you look…really pretty. Jeez Mai you went all out with this. I think though she ought to change into her old clothes for the pictures, you know?"

Serenity blushed, "I know, I just wanted to show you. Duke isn't up here is he?"

Thankfully he wasn't, he would have lost it seeing her dressed like that.

"No, he's downstairs, but you know Serenity he's too old for you."

She rolled her perfectly made up eyes and flipped her curled hair at him, "Of course that is why I am glad he's not up here right now. I wouldn't want to lead him on or something you know. There is a boy at school in my class I like anyway. Well excuse me while I get changed into my _old_ _clothes_."

Joey choked, "Hey Sis I meant that…"

"Can it Joey she knows what you meant, she even said your mother would freak out if she ever saw pictures of her looking like that so don't have a cow over it. She's a good kid Joey, now get the camera ready, I just wanted to show you what she might be dressing like in a few years, whether your mother likes it or not."

Mai was right and Joey knew it. But still he wanted her to remain innocent for as long as humanly possible, he hated to think of what their father would think of seeing her looking like that and he took the camera from Mai's hand as she held it out to him. Then he winked and she blew him a kiss before going back into the guestroom. After five minutes they appeared again, Mai was still wearing her trademark white halter top, and purple vest with a dark purple miniskirt and white boots. Joey grinned as he set up to take their photograph.

"Ok on three…One, two, three cheese!"

They both smiled at the camera and Joey snapped off two shots in quick succession. Then they changed position so that Serenity was on the other side with her arm around Mai's waist and then Joey took another shot. Mai came up to him and told Serenity to stand there with Joey because she wanted to get one of the both of them together.

"Ok Mai," she said as she waited for Joey to come over.

He came to stand next to her and she snuggled up to him as he put his arm around her shoulders, holding her there warmly.

"You really look great Serenity. I can't believe how much you've grown just since I saw you last," Joey whispered.

She pinched his side, not enough to hurt but enough to tickle him, "It's the makeup big brother, sheesh!"

Then Mai snapped a couple shots of them before pulling the camera from her face, "Now let me change and I want a couple with me and you Joey, ok?"

Joey swallowed hard at the lump in his throat getting a sinking feeling that she was about to come out looking extremely sexy and he'd be unable to even kiss her. She went into the guestroom as Joey began to sweat. Serenity laughed and tickled Joey some more. He told her it wasn't funny anymore and he felt a wave of anxiety hitting him and hitting him hard. Serenity looked at him and laughed.

"If you could see your face right now Joey! It's hysterical! You are so worried, it's just a dress, you'll like it."

Joey swallowed hard again and choked as the door opened and out came Mai wearing a lovely black strapless dress. He blinked stupidly for a few seconds before opening his mouth to speak but no words came out as Mai came up to him, handed Serenity the camera and posed next to him. Needless to say the first shot was with his shocked expression and then Serenity gave him a moment to compose himself before taking another one. This time he was smiling happily.

"You gals, I swear, that is an unbelievable dress. Thanks for giving me a minute to get a smile on my face and don't even think of taking one home of me and Mai like that, it would give Mom another thing to hold against me."

Mai frowned, "What is that supposed to mean?"

Joey rolled his eyes, "I mean that she'd hold it against me that I have a gorgeous girlfriend who graces covers of fashion magazines. She's not the milk and cookies type Mai. I know you haven't met her and I'd like to keep it that way, my mom and I don't see eye to eye on most things."

Mai's frown grew dimmer, "Oh I see. I'm sorry Joey, I was thinking you were ashamed of me again."

Joey kissed her cheek, "Mai you don't ever have to be worried about that. Now Mom? She is someone _I am_ ashamed of, but _you_, **never!**"

"Yeah, my mom is rather overprotective over me. You know, I think she was listening in on our conversation _the other night_ big brother."

"Oh, yeah, well Sis, she was. I heard two clicks before I hung up. You hanging up and then her. I'm sorry I'm not trying to drive a wedge between you and her, it's just that I am pretty upset with her for doing that," Joey said sadly.

Serenity nodded, "I know. It's not you doing it though Joey. I am still mad at her about Dad. Now more then ever."

Mai left the room quietly to go change back into her other clothes as Joey moved to hold his sister as she started crying. He rubbed her back and told her it would be all right. But he didn't know that it would. Their mom sure had screwed up when it came to Serenity. She should have let their father see her at least when she was in town, it would have made a big difference in all of their lives, Joey believed that with all his heart.

"Serenity, I know you love Dad, he knows you love him and I can tell you he never stopped loving you, but Mom wouldn't let him see you when you were here in the hospital. He wanted to so badly, she wouldn't even let his calls go through. I'm sorry about all that but it's on her shoulders for keeping him away from you."

Serenity sobbed, "I know and I am trying not to hate her for it…But I really hate how she thinks he is such a bad guy, he's not really that bad, is he big brother?"

Joey was put on the spot and he knew it.

"Well Dad is an alcoholic Serenity, that means he sometimes does bad things and makes bad choices, but sometimes good people can do bad things even if they don't mean to. Understand? Like Mom…She thought she was protecting you but she ended up hurting you. Don't hold it against her that she acted out of love, just be honest with her and tell her how you feel. She'll listen if she's reasonable. If she's not then you just wait until you're old enough to get on your own and you can come live with your big brother."

That made her smile and Joey grinned down at her, "There we go, that's the smile I want to see. Don't sweat it Sis, you and I are bonded forever no matter what. I'll always be there for you and I know you're here for me."

She nodded, "Thanks Joey, you always know just what to say to make me feel better. I don't think I am going to talk to her about this though. I am too upset about it to be able to express myself without getting angry, so maybe someday I can."

"Good, you see you know yourself pretty good Serenity. I'd trust your judgement any day."

She grinned proudly and Mai took that moment to come out from behind the cracked open door.

"Well I don't know about you guys, but I feel like some pizza. Did you manage to save any for us girls Joey?"

He nodded and put his arm around her shoulders, keeping the one he had around Serenity's so that he was between his two favorite girls in the world and he led them to the kitchen. It wasn't easy talking to his sister the way he had, but he believed that he'd done the right thing by keeping the abuse a secret. It was enough that he had told their mom about it so that it would weigh on her conscious that she'd made some bad choices herself that resulted in suffering for her son.

Joey pulled out the remaining half of the pizza and put it into the oven to reheat. Then he went to the refrigerator and asked if they wanted sodas. Mai and Serenity both nodded so he got them set up and then joined them with a can for himself at the table as they sat waiting on the pizza. He suggested going to the living room and led the way in there. Handing Mai the remote he went back to the kitchen to check on the pizza. It was close to warm so he sat there and waited on it. About five minutes passed and he was sure it was ready to he turned off the oven and pulled out the pizza onto two plates.

Bringing them into the living room he passed one to Mai and one to his little sister. They smiled and he went back to get his soda and then he came to sit back down between them. He laughed at the comedy show that was on, doing a parody of a sitcom he hated. After the skit ended he waited to see if Mai was going to channel surf at all and when she didn't he asked if he could and she nodded. He put on one of the music video channels and sat there as a hard rocking band he liked was playing in a live concert.

After the girls finished eating Mai leaned over and kissed his cheek, whispering her thanks for the pizza and told him he was a great big brother for what he'd done and said. Then she and Serenity went back into the guestroom to do their nails. Joey stretched out and enjoyed the concert. An hour later Duke appeared and asked if they had eaten the rest of the pizza which Joey said they had. Duke laughed and asked him if he was hungry.

"Are you kidding? Sure, you thinking what I'm thinking man?"

"Chinese Wall take out? If so then yes I am!"

Joey laughed, "Then you order it and I will go get it. Sound good? But better get enough so that they have something to come out and snack on later, like a family sized order of veggie fried rice to go with a family sized sweet and sour chicken. I know the gals like chicken so your pork is safe."

Duke chuckled, "If Serenity wanted some I'd gladly give her some. Same for Mai, but I know you're right I remember from last time she didn't like it. Ok I am gonna go call right now so ten minutes and then you should head out to get it."

"Ten four good buddy," Joey replied with a salute.

Duke laughed and headed to the kitchen to make the call. It had been a real roller coaster of a night, but at least it was ending on an up note. That was something Joey could live with. He figured they'd go see their dad again Sunday before Serenity had to go. And Joey was confident that the visit would go as well as the one tonight had. He was grateful Mai had been around to help cheer Serenity up. He could hear them laughing in the other room as he turned off the television. Joey got up and went to the kitchen where Duke was just hanging up the phone.

"Ten minutes and it will be ready. They already know me by name and order now since we seem to always get the sweet and sour chicken and pork they knew the veggie fried rice was the next thing I was gonna order."

"No wonder, we eat there enough. But heck I love their food. And the fortune cookies have yet to let me down."

"Me either Joey," Duke agreed.

The two teens sat there watching the clock until it was time for Joey to head down to get their food. The Chinese Wall was just around the corner so it was easy walking distance. He headed downstairs with a twenty from Duke to cover their order like he did several times a week. Truth be told it was like every other night that they ate from this restaurant and they both were fine with that. It wasn't like there was anyone there at the Black Crown who could cook and Duke was too proud to just hire a cook, so every other night they either had pizza or had adventures in cooking together. Either way it was never boring there with Duke and Joey was grateful to have such a good friend.


	23. Project Paint

Author Note: I do not own Yugioh or any of the characters from the show. I hope you enjoy this story and I look forward to seeing what people think of it. If you like it please R&R. I don't expect this to be a long story like my other two Yugioh fics, but I think it will be a fun ride as it moves along. Just a warning, this story will contain spoilers for Battle City and possibly the Noah's Virtual World saga. This fic has been beta read by Minor Arcana; a big thank you to her for all her help and advice on the story.

Dog Days Chapter Twenty-Three: Project Paint

xoxox

The weekend Serenity had come over had been over two weeks ago. Joey was missing her pretty badly and he had gone to see his dad regularly, at least four times since the two times he'd gone with his sister. He'd had trouble watching him deteriorating so quickly, but he'd lost a lot of weight on top of being put on heavier pain medication because he was in horrible pain. As Joey left school with Duke after another grueling day he couldn't help but to think about Serenity.

_I wonder if Mom gave her a hard time about seeing Dad or not. I know she was rather short with me on the phone when I called two nights ago. At least she wasn't listening in on us talking that time. _Joey pondered this as Duke pulled up to the Black Crown.

"So you don't look like you heard a word I said Joey. What's wrong?" Duke asked as he parked the car.

"Aw I'm sorry Duke I was just thinking about my parents is all. Dad looked really bad last night when you took me to see him and when I called last to talk to Serenity Mom was kinda short with me. Not outright rude, but just like she couldn't get me off the phone fast enough."

Duke sighed and reached over to the keys shutting off the car.

"Sometimes that is how it goes you know? We can't control the way other people treat us and I am just glad your dad seems to have come to his senses and recognized what a great guy you are. That he wants you to sell the house really amazed me."

Joey nodded, "Yeah he signed it over and all last week. That reminds me, I need to see if Yugi and Tristan can help me paint it and work on patching up some of the holes this weekend. I am still shocked he told me he wanted me to go to college. That was pretty deep for him to say that he hoped I would make something of myself."

Duke agreed, "Yeah when you told me I know my jaw hit the floor big time. But it's a good thing Joey. Whatever you want to do I am sure you'll be making him proud. I already know what I am going to be doing with myself if this new game gets the response I hope it will."

"So how is that going? Got anything you can show me of it yet?" Joey asked with a friendly wink.

Duke shook his head, "I wish I could Joey but I promised Kaiba, well you know he's the one producing it with his resources for virtual technology, so I can't show you until it is finished, but it shouldn't be too much longer. Maybe a couple months before we go into live beta testing and then you can see it all you want."

Joey grinned, "I can't wait Duke. I know how Kaiba can be and the last thing I wanna do is anything to screw up your gig with him. So don't sweat it man. I can wait seriously. So what are we up to tonight?"

Duke opened his car door and Joey followed suit, "I have a net chat later and I need to work on my blog, the fans are always starving for updates so I gotta give them what they want. I guess we can do Chinese Wall again for dinner, but I think I want to get Sweet and Sour Chicken this time. I'm kind of porked out."

Joey laughed, "Better not let your fan girls hear you say something like that."

Duke groaned, "Ha, ha, you are so funny Joey. But seriously man, I want chicken tonight so a family size of that between us ought to do the trick. You got money to cover it or you need a twenty for it?"

Joey quickly calculated what he had in his wallet and shook his head, "Nope I got it covered bro' no problem. You just let me know when you're ready to eat and I will call it in and go get it."

As they walked up to the front door Duke told Joey he was the best and Joey laughed.

"No man, you are the best. I mean that."

Duke smiled and fingered a lock of hair twirling it around his index finger as he pushed open the door to the shop, letting Joey in first. Then Duke let the door close behind them, but not before giving two teen girls the 'look' that girls seemed to fall over swooning for him after getting. He decided to _work_ the store a little while as Joey said he was going to go do some homework. It wasn't that he had much to do, but he wanted it out of the way so he could enjoy the rest of his evening. Tomorrow was Friday and they were looking at a three day weekend because Monday was an in service day for teachers only.

He took the stairs just for a change, and soon was in his room at his desk. He figured he might as well call Yugi and Tristan later too and get that out of the way. His father had also asked for Joey to take over as his living will appointee. Joey hadn't liked the idea but Jim had insisted, saying that sometimes people with cancer fell into comas from which they never awoke. He didn't want that to happen to him so in addition to the living will he'd had non-resuscitation order so that if he did fall into one he'd be able to die in peace as opposed to being put on life support equipment prolonging the inevitable.

Joey pushed the morbid thoughts from his mind as best as he could and picking up the framed photo from the weekend Serenity was over of him with Mai he smiled. He'd already talked to her about it and was sure she would be right there with him should the time come that he had to make such a difficult decision. Joey opened his backpack and took out his math book, opening it to the assigned homework section and then he reached down to a folder he kept clean paper in. Taking out a sheet he put his name, date and class in the upper right hand corner preparing to do the twenty math problems that were on the page the teacher had assigned.

xoxox

An hour later he was all done with his Math homework and didn't feel like doing his English assignment just yet so he stood up and stretched his legs. Then he went to the kitchen to get some left over pizza because it was too early to order dinner yet. So he microwaved it and then brought it back to his room. Unlike what people might expect Joey didn't let his room get dirty. He'd eat in there at his desk, he'd make sure no soda cans or plates were left in there. It made him feel good to take care of his things. As he sat down he glanced over at the closet. Up on the shelf was the old backgammon set. He had played Duke a few times already and been beaten almost every time.

_Maybe we can play a round later if he's not too busy._

Then Joey picked up the piece of pizza and began to eat it. He didn't mind that the crust was not as crisp as it would have been if he'd have used the oven, but he didn't feel like heating it up over one lone piece so he'd been content to nuke the piece he wanted. After he was done with it he pushed the plate to the side and picked up the phone. Then he dialed Tristan's number and waited for someone to answer. After three rings his mother answered.

"Hi Mrs. Taylor. If Tristan home?"

"Why yes, hold on a moment Joey."

Joey waited as she put the phone down and went to get her son. After a few moments he heard Tristan coming up towards the phone, then he picked it up and greeted Joey.

"Hey Tristan. Listen I wanted to see what you thought about helping me this weekend with the house?"

"Yeah sure Joey I remember you mentioning it yesterday at lunch. You can count on me, I'd love to help."

Joey chuckled, "You're awesome to help me like this Tristan. I need to get this house situation settled soon. The sooner the better."

Tristan sighed, "So how is your dad Joey?"

"Bad bro' he looks real bad. I don't know how much longer he is gonna hang in there either. It's awful seeing him just wasting away like this. But there's nothing the doctors can do."

Tristan sighed again, "I'm really sorry things are looking so bad for him Joey. Are you holding up ok? This must be really hard on you."

Joey sighed, "Yeah I am hanging in there, but I want to get the house done and try to sell it like he wanted."

"That is really wonderful he wants you to go to college. Any idea what courses you're going to take yet?"

"Nope, not a clue. I'll know after I have some time to get my head together after all of this is over…You know in some cases death is really not a bad thing. Like when you're in horrible pain like Dad is. It's an end to that suffering at least."

Tristan didn't know what to say, "I'm sorry Joey. If there's anything I can do you know you just need to ask…"

Joey chuckled, "See if you're still saying that after Saturday I plan on doing the drywall work in the Friday after school myself and then if Yugi is helping too we can paint in the afternoon on Saturday."

"Sounds like a plan to me man. Ok well I got Math homework waiting on me so I will let you go, glad you called though Joey. Bye."

"Yeah me too man. See ya Tristan."

Then Joey pressed the hang up button and let go of it to get a dial tone. He called Yugi next and soon he greeted by his spikey haired friend.

"Hi Joey! What's up?" Yugi asked cheerfully.

"Hi Yug, nothing much, just finished my Math homework and wanted to call and see if we were still on for Saturday."

Yugi laughed, "Sure we are Joey. I can't wait to help you get the place painted. Are you asking Tea to help too?"

Joey shrugged, "Nah, I don't want to bother her with this. Besides the place is bound to be a wreck even after I get done cleaning a bit more. I took out ten garbage bags when I was cleaning up there yesterday after school."

"Wow that's a lot of stuff to toss out," Yugi said gasping with shock.

Joey chuckled, "Yeah it was. Mostly garbage and rotten food. I cleaned out the fridge and man it was nasty! But don't worry we'll air it out good because of paint fumes and then come back here to pig out on some dinner. My treat."

"Awesome Joey, that sounds like fun. So it's just you, me and Tristan?"

Joey grinned, "Yeah I don't wanna burden Duke with this, he's done so much for me already you know?"

Yugi agreed, "Yeah I can appreciate that. Well then I'll see you in school tomorrow then, ok?"

"Sure thing Yug, talk to you then. Bye."

"Bye Joey," Yugi said before hanging up the phone.

Then Joey hung up his phone and turned on his computer and then stood up to take the plate out to the kitchen. He washed it and then did the remaining dishes before going back to his room. It was getting late and he had homework left to do. So he picked up his backpack and pulled out his English book, intent on getting it done before he went to get his and Duke's dinner, which turned out to be an hour later.

xoxox

Seto Kaiba sat at his desk, thinking about the news he'd gotten. It was shocking to learn that Joey's father was in Domino Hospital's Oncology Ward, but even more so that he was dying of cancer. Seto had heard he'd been in jail and that hadn't surprised him in the least, but the news that the elder Wheeler was dying of inoperable cancer was definitely unexpected.

_Usually the good die young, not evil bastards like that Jim. I wonder how Wheeler is doing._

He'd been curious when the geeks had been so quiet that he'd asked Duke about it. That was when he got the news that Joey's dad was dying. It made the young man take a few moments to ponder this as he looked at the desk. Duke was working hard on the game and it would soon be completed, yet he could see that Duke was concerned about his friend, Joey's well being. So for the moment Seto was content to merely shrug as if to say _oh well_ even if he didn't say it, he was thinking it couldn't have happened to a better person then Joey's abusive father.

"Be that as it may, how are you doing Duke? Did you get the latest animations that the rendering crew worked up?"

Duke nodded and smiled, "Oh I'm fine, no worries here. It's just I don't know how Joey is taking all of this really. I loved the animations they did, they were better in action then I could have imagined Seto, really great stuff."

Seto nodded, "I thought so too, but then with their jobs on the line I think they know all too well just how important this work is so they are giving it their full attention."

"Just as I would expect of any Kaiba Corporation employee," Duke sincerely complimented the young CEO.

"Yes well, if there is nothing else then I suppose we can call it a night Duke. Until tomorrow."

Duke waved, "Ok Seto, talk to you then. Goodnight."

Seto smiled, and nodded before closing the web chat window. He sat back linking his fingers as he rested his elbows on his desk, then he put his chin on his thumbs as he thought about Joey some more. If it was anyone else but Joey Wheeler he'd probably send a card with condolences, yet he knew such a gesture towards Joey would not be taken in good spirits and might be thought of as sarcasm. He couldn't really blame him, as he'd long been a tormentor of the young blonde until recently when he'd decided that he had it hard enough without the added grief that only Seto could doll out.

_Perhaps I could send a card when he does die. I am sure I will hear about it from Duke if not from other students in school. Though I really don't feel sorry for the old man, I do feel bad for Joey to have to go through all that._

Seto remembered how his father had walked around like a zombie for months before he'd died of a broken heart after his mother had died. It was sad, but he'd already accepted that his own father had been long gone before his body was ever put to rest. The same could be said of Joey's father. That he was already long gone having lost touch with his soul after losing his wife and daughter years ago, crossing lines that couldn't be uncrossed as he'd beaten his own son until he'd been forced to practically run away to free himself from the abuse. After thinking about all this Seto found he was growing tired so he got up from his home office and headed to his bathroom to get ready for bed.

He'd already seen his little brother earlier and talked with him about homework that he'd needed to get done and as it was getting late he decided to check up on him first, so he went to Mokuba's room and knocked on the door. When he didn't hear and answer he opened the door and saw Mokuba sitting there with headphones on working on his homework just like he'd said he would be. Seeing this he closed the door and went back towards his bathroom. His brother knew how to take care of his own responsibilities, so he was able to relax and take care of himself. Seto Kaiba was ready for bed. As he entered his blue and white tiled bathroom his thoughts were already on sleep.

xoxox

Friday came and went and soon it was Saturday morning. Duke had insisted on coming to help the guys work on Joey's house and after they had picked them up they went to the little three-bedroom home. The only home Joey had ever known and he was saddened by the idea of selling it, yet he knew it had to be done. He didn't want to live there any longer and the memories of the abuse were still fresh in his mind, even if he had forgiven his father, he could still see his angry face yelling obscenities at him. Joey shivered as they entered the eerily quiet house.

"Wow you did clean up a lot Joey, what are you going to do with the rest of the furniture?" asked Duke who had been inside the house a couple of times already with Joey earlier in the week.

"Oh I don't know, I plan on tossing out most of the stuff and giving the rest to like Goodwill. Not too much is really usable anymore. Looked to me like Dad went on a rampage, I had to throw my dresser out and my bed was totally ripped up like he'd used a knife on it or something. That went out Wednesday afternoon."

"He used a knife on your bed?" asked Yugi horrified at the revelation.

Joey nodded, "Yeah that is sure what it looked like to me Yug. Anyway it's not a big deal. Stuff can be replaced but people can't. You know?"

Yugi nodded and remained silent as Joey went to get the painting supplies. Duke followed along behind him as they had left everything they would need in the kitchen on the table. Six gallons of white paint, numerous rollers with trays and two rolls of blue painter tape to tape off the windows. The carpet was trashed and Joey told them not to worry about getting paint anywhere as he and Duke came back into the room carrying most of the supplies.

"Hey Tristan there are some more rollers and a couple of paint trays in the kitchen if you don't mind grabbing them we can get started. And seriously the carpet is going to get ripped up next week and replaced so don't worry about it," Joey assured his friends.

Yugi stood there with a tray and paint roller in his hand while Joey and Duke began opening a gallon of paint. When it was open Duke poured some paint into the first two trays, then Yugi put his tray down on the newspaper that was lying on the floor next to the can of paint which Joey then filled. He smiled at Duke as he loaded the roller with paint and then dragged the paint tray by the newspaper over to one wall while Joey and Duke got set up on two other walls. The house still reeked of smoke and even with the doors open it was not very pleasant work with the paint fumes mixing in with the other unidentified odors of the house.

Tristan came out and filled his own tray and took it over to the last available wall in the living room and soon they were moving on to the kitchen. The yellowed walls of the living room were now freshly painted white and no traces remained of the years of smoking that his father had done from his now thrown away recliner. Duke had brought a portable CD player and they were all enjoying the music from a CD he'd put in on repeat. It was almost lunchtime by the time they finished the kitchen. So Duke offered to go run to Burger World while the rest of them took a break.

"Believe it or not we have an old picnic table out back we could sit at, so that sounds like a plan. We'll be out back when you get back Duke."

Duke nodded and then was gone. Joey led Tristan and Yugi outside into the overgrown back yard. Joey sighed as they walked through knee high weeds and grass, thinking that this was yet another chore he had to do this weekend. But once it was done and the house was painted and the carpet replaced he could get it listed with some Realtor and pray it sold quickly. He still wasn't sure what he would go for in college, but after things settled down with the passing of his father and all, he'd be able to devote time to research his options. It didn't matter if he took half a year after graduation to get his head together.

God knows he felt like he really needed to and that was the only plans he had at the moment. To sit back and enjoy being with Mai and to live a little. He figured with all the help he had today they'd be able to get the painting done and then he would be able to focus on cleaning up the bathrooms next. He was really happy his friends were so supportive of him in his time of need. And need his friends he did. They were making a day of this and if they did finish before it was time to go grab something for dinner, he thought about asking them to help him lug out some boxes of junks from the garage. That was something he wasn't looking forward to. But he knew it had to be done or else he'd never get the house sold.

Duke returned with burgers and fries for all and they sat at the table, laughing and eating just like any other day when they were all together. After they were done eating they got right back to work and by the time they were done with the kitchen and finished painting the bedrooms Joey asked if they'd mind helping him with dragging stuff out to be taken with the next garbage pick up. One of the few things still being used at this address, along with water. After he'd gotten the house completely ready he'd have those shut off too. He was feeling pretty good when he was passing boxes to his friends to take to the trash when he found something.

Something that shook him up pretty badly. It was his old baby stuff. He had no idea that this stuff was around anymore, he couldn't ever remember having seen it and his blood ran cold thinking about it. Of all the things to find, he had to find his baby clothes and toys all boxed away like something forgotten, yet still thought of as important enough to keep. He sat down and went through the box and saw a baby book. Joey put it aside and looked at the toys. There were a few rattles and teething rings with big bite marks that made him smile to think of. He wondered how come this was here still, could it be his father just didn't realize it was all out here? Or had he kept them purposely for some unknown reason?

Either way he was pleasantly surprised that most of it was in decent condition so he put the box to the side and moved onto to another one of his dad's junk boxes. He walked it out to the curb and then went back inside the garage to direct the guys to the only remaining boxes left. The one with his baby stuff he decided he would keep and show to Mai. She would probably get a kick out of seeing the cute outfits and toys he'd had as a baby. Thinking about her then Joey smiled, she was off on another shoot, this time on location in California. She'd called him last night and they'd talked for awhile before she'd had to go to finish her beauty routine that she always did the night before a shoot.

When all the boxes but the one with his baby things were all out at the curb Joey looked around the garage, it was so empty now except for his dad's tool chest and the lawnmower. His father had told him to sell the car and that was how he'd gotten the money up to pay for the new carpet that would be installed next week. It was sad seeing the house gutted from all of the possessions they'd had here. But the truth was that everything that was destroyed would not be good enough to donate to charity, and the things that remained he'd already set up a pick up time for Tuesday afternoon after school. Joey had handled things pretty well considering how hard it had been to see the condition of the house after his father's very last rampage.

As they four young men drove back to the Black Crown they were talking about what to get for dinner. Duke was all for the Chinese Wall and Joey was second to say that he wanted that too. Tristan and Yugi went along with it and so Duke parked the car and the four boys headed over to the restaurant to get their orders taken. Joey paid for it and then they left to go back to the black crown. It would take about twenty minutes for all four orders to be done so when the time came Joey had planned on getting them himself. It was the best way he could show his appreciation for all his friends had done for him today and all their hard work.

As they went upstairs to the living room to sit in front of the big screen plasma television Joey kept his eye on the time. He knew how lucky he was to have such good friends and when enough time passed he got up and left to get the food. It was a cool night out, the summer heat had left for the moment and he ran his fingers through his hair as he walked around to the restaurant. The owner greeted him and passed him the huge bag of food, which Joey took graciously, thanking him for the great job on their dinner and he waved as he left. The staff at the Chinese Wall all knew him by sight and by order now and as Joey carried the food inside the game shop, he looked around and smiled.

He knew that Duke had cancelled a gaming session tonight to be able to help Joey out with painting the house and it made him feel good that Duke cared about him enough to do such a thing. Duke had told him it was no problem, but Joey knew that being there to help his friends was very important to Duke now. He'd definitely shown himself to be a great friend and Joey grinned as he entered the living room he began to pass around the take out boxes of food to their proper owners. The television was on and they were watching some video clip show of funny family videos and once the guys all had their food, Joey sat down to join them. It had been a really productive day and he was pleased that he was one step closer to making his father's dream of selling the house a reality.


	24. A Sad Visit, Tragic News

Author Note: I do not own Yugioh or any of the characters from the show. I hope you enjoy this story and I look forward to seeing what people think of it. If you like it please R&R. I don't expect this to be a long story like my other two Yugioh fics, but I think it will be a fun ride as it moves along. Just a warning, this story will contain spoilers for Battle City and possibly the Noah's Virtual World saga.

Dog Days Chapter Twenty-Four: A Sad Visit, Tragic News

xoxox

Monday came and went and Tuesday Joey had overseen the truck that came to take the remaining furniture, his father's double bed, the couch and the kitchen table and chairs all being loaded onto the truck. It was now Thursday and tomorrow they would be getting his sister to have her over again for the weekend. Their father was getting weaker by the day and Joey wasn't sure he'd be able to hang on until Serenity got to see him one last time. He had seen him just last night and he'd looked really bad, his skin was gaunt and gray, his hair was even falling out rapidly from malnutrition even though he was still eating as much as he could keep down.

Duke would be the one to drive him to pick up his sister as Mai was off shooting a commercial that weekend. She was leaving in the morning and Joey missed her. It was the second weekend in a row she'd be gone and he wished she could be with him when he went to see his dad Friday night. As Duke drove them home Joey looked out the window feeling really depressed about his father. The conversation last night had been short as he'd been too tired for a long visit and that had been obvious from the way he'd had trouble keeping his eyes open.

Duke had taken him and was surprised when Joey had come out after only five minutes, but that was as much as his father was able to stay conscious for. Joey was afraid that he might fall into a coma at any time and the time of his passing was definitely growing nearer. He watched the buildings go by and ran the conversation of last night over in his mind again. How Jim had told him to always be there to help his sister, to share the money from the house to help her get into college too. Which Joey had already planned on doing, but hearing it from his father made it even more real to him that the man was dying, deteriorating right before his eyes, each day growing weaker and weaker.

_'It is so sad he didn't get help in time. He could have beaten this if only he'd gone to the doctor a year ago. I hope his pain ends soon, it hurts so much seeing him suffering so badly,' _Joey thought sadly.

Duke pulled up in front of the Black Crown and the two young men got out of the lime colored Cadillac heading inside, each with their backpacks slung over their shoulders. Duke understood how sad Joey was, and he'd even offered to play him in backgammon last night after they'd returned home but Joey declined, opting to go chat with Mai for awhile before going off to bed. He knew Duke was worried about him, but when it was all said and done Joey knew his father was dying, that wasn't going to change and he knew it. He was handling it as best as he could and having friends trying to cheer him up helped even if he didn't visibly lighten up, he felt lighter in his heart.

They both went upstairs to get their homework out of the way. Duke reminded him that tonight was pizza night so at the mention of this Joey smiled and chuckled, which in turn made Duke grin as he went to his room waving to Joey as he disappeared into his own. It was nice having his own money and being in charge of his life, but part of him missed his father. He wished things had been different, but he knew there was nothing that could be gained from wallowing in the 'what if's' and 'could have beens' that haunted him so much lately. He shook it off and focused on his homework and soon he was only thinking of the Math problems he had to finish before the reward of pizza could be enjoyed.

xoxox

It was the next day after school when Joey found his thoughts back on his dad again. As they were driving into Maples to pick his sister up from the library. Joey was a little frustrated with his mother for not letting him just pick his sister up at the apartment they lived in, he found it insulting that she didn't trust him with the location and even worse that she'd forbidden Serenity from telling him where exactly they lived. Duke had remained quiet as they drove along, only the radio playing broke the silence between the young men. It wasn't long before they were at the Maples Library and Serenity came out with two backpacks like last time.

She got in the car and Duke greeted her warmly, "Hello Serenity, you're looking well. Nice to see you again."

"Hi Duke! Thanks for picking me up. I am so anxious to go see Dad. Do you think we can stop by there on the way back?"

Joey frowned, he'd have to call and see if that would be ok with their dad. He pulled out his cell phone and called the hospital, asking for room 343.

"Let me ask him ok Sis? I'll just be a minute…"

A nurse answered and Joey asked to speak to his father.

"Hello Joey, is your sister with you?" came his weak greeting.

Joey swallowed at the lump in his throat before replying, "Yes, she's right here, we were wondering if we could stop by on the way home, are you up to having us visit now?"

Jim coughed and held the phone away from his mouth so that he could take a moment to clear his throat before he answered.

"Sure son, come on down. I don't feel really good so it will have to be a short visit but I'd love to see you kids."

"Ok then Dad, we'll be there in about half an hour."

"All right Joey, see you then son. Bye."

"Good bye Dad," Joey said, fighting tears.

Something told him that this might be the last time they got to see Jim conscious and he felt like racing to the hospital.

"Hey Duke? I think we should hurry up and get there soon. He didn't sound too good at all."

"Oh no! What do you mean Joey? He's ok isn't he?" Serenity cried.

Joey shook his head still fighting tears he refused to let fall.

"No Sis, I don't think he is ok this time. We need to get there as soon as possible and I want you to be prepared for the worst Serenity. He looked really bad last night and I know from how he sounded just now he's not any better."

Serenity reached into her purse pulling out some tissues, dabbing at her eyes to wipe away the tears she couldn't stop from flowing. She knew that the time was coming when he'd be gone and it hurt her deeply. She also knew it hurt Joey just as badly, if not more because he'd lived with Jim for all those years she'd been away from them both. Duke sped up to do five miles over the posted speed limit and it wasn't long before they were at the Domino Hospital. Duke dropped them off at the entrance and then went to park the car. He knew that time was of the essence and could sense the urgency Joey felt to get to his father's side.

Joey took Serenity's hand and led her to the elevator, then they quickly got on and he hit the button for the third floor. It stopped on the second floor and no one was there so the doors closed and then finally it opened at their destination. Joey walked swiftly holding her hand still, right to their father's room. A nurse was in there taking his blood pressure and Jim looked unconscious. Joey felt his heart pounding thinking they'd been too late and he was surely in a coma. The nurse smiled at them then looked back down to Jim with pity in her eyes.

"Is he…in a coma?"

The nurse shook her head, "No, but we don't hold much hope that he will survive the night Joey. His organs are all shutting down and…well you should be with him right now. I'll leave you three alone now."

Then she left and Serenity went to one side of the bed as Joey went to the other. His heart was racing and he couldn't fight the tears any longer, his cheeks were wet with them and he reached to the box of tissues pulling some out for himself and some for his sister, he passed over to her. She took them and blew her nose, which made Jim stir. He opened his eyes and looked at her first and then turned his head slowly to face his son.

"Hi Daddy," Serenity said through her tears.

"Hi Dad," Joey said forcing himself not to cry in front of his father.

Jim nodded and weakly coughed.

He didn't say anything yet, just squeezed both of their hands softly and sighed.

Finally he spoke, but it wasn't what either of them wanted to hear.

"My time is coming. I can feel it in my bones kids. I don't think I'll be here much longer. I don't want you…" he paused to take a deep breath and then went on. "I don't want you to grieve too badly about me. I'm moving on to a better place and you have your whole lives ahead of you."

Joey and Serenity both squeezed his hand, as if the act itself could make what Jim said not be true.

"I am having trouble focusing you two. Tell your mother I'm sorry for all the things I did to her. And you know I love you both. I even still love her after all these years. I know she hates me but I don't care, I deserve it for how badly I treated her…and both of you."

Joey shook his head and tears fell that he quickly wiped away before his dad caught sight of them, but his eyes seemed some what glassy so he doubted he'd notice even if he looked right at him.

"Daddy please don't die…" begged Serenity.

"Darlin' I can't help it. It's my time to go, my number is up and there's nothing anyone can do. Please don't cry too much. I know you're sad about it, and I wish I had been able to be there for you more as you were growing up into such a pretty young lady. But it wasn't meant to be honey."

Serenity lowered her head, tears falling onto her pink shirt rolling down her face and neck. She was sobbing and shaking with grief, but Joey resolved to stop crying in front of the man who he'd forgiven for all his cruelty. Something clicked in his head and he felt his heart numb up, like a switch being thrown shutting down his emotions for the moment. It reminded him of how he'd done that consciously whenever his father had been beating him and he figured this was one time such a thing was useful, to keep his grief inside to be strong for his sister's benefit.

Jim sighed, "I told Joey I want him to sell the house. I want him to use the money from it to go to college and set some aside for you to go too Serenity. I'm sorry that I have been a bad father, to you and to your brother. You two support each other no matter what, and you'll be fine…"

Jim's eyes closed and he squeezed their hands. Joey felt his heart pounding in his chest, he thought that this was it, the last time his father would speak to either of them.

"I love you Dad, rest now. Just know we love you and you know I forgive you for everything," Joey said as he squeezed Jim's hand and then he brought it up to his mouth and kissed it, before putting it to his cheek holding it there for some long moments.

Serenity cried, "I love you too Daddy, you get your rest and don't worry about us. We'll make you proud I promise we will. You weren't a bad Daddy, not to me you weren't. I'll always love you."

Jim nodded but didn't open his eyes again, they could hear him wheezing with every breath and they only stayed a few more minutes in silence before then could see he was either sleeping or unconscious. Then with his arm around his sister's shoulders they left the Oncology Ward behind. It was to be the last time they ever saw their father alive again and deep down both Wheelers knew it.

xoxox

The call came late; it was after midnight when Joey answered the phone. He'd been unable to sleep and when the doctor told him Jim had died in his sleep a few minutes ago Joey thanked him for calling/ Then he got up, tears streaming down his face as he went to the guestroom his sister was staying in. He knocked on the door and she quickly answered, knowing it was bad news. He told her and she broke down right there in his arms. He held her and Duke came out hearing her crying and came over to put his hands on both of their shoulders.

He didn't say anything, what was there to say? Jim was gone now and that was all there was to know. His suffering had finally come to an end and now his two children would have to grieve before moving on with their lives. The three of them stayed like that in the doorway of the guestroom for ten minutes before Serenity stopped sobbing for a moment. She looked up at Joey and then Duke and smiled.

"At least we got to say goodbye today. Thank you both for helping me to see him one last time. I think I'm ok now. We should all try to get some sleep," Serenity said with tears still rolling down her cheeks.

Duke nodded and squeezed her shoulder one last time before turning to go back to his room. Joey hugged her tight and then released her.

"Its ok Serenity. Dad's not in pain anymore and we have to start moving on. I will carry out his wishes though and put aside half of the money for you for going to college on. And I will see about getting myself enrolled once I graduate next month. It will be all right. I'll always be here for you Sis."

She nodded and then headed back into her room. Joey sighed as she shut the door and figured he'd wait to call their mom in the morning. It wasn't like she could do anything and he didn't even know if she'd care that Jim had finally lost his battle with cancer. He went back to his own room and got into bed, his thoughts on the funeral arrangements that had to be made. It would be a rough day, but he'd already secured a cremation deal, which was what his father had wanted, with a plot in Domino's main cemetery to have the urn with his remains interred. He figured the ceremony would be small and would take place Sunday afternoon or maybe Monday.

It didn't really matter to him just as long as things were going to be taken care of. He'd never felt so depressed in his entire life as he did right now. If Mai wasn't out of town he'd call her, but she was probably still awake. The more he thought of her the more it urged him to call her. So he took his cell phone off its charger and dialed the number to hers. After the third ring she answered, but it sounded like she was a party with all the noise in the background, but she moved away from it and soon he could hear her better.

"Hi Joey, I guess this isn't a social call is it hun?"

"No, I needed to talk to you. Dad just died. In his sleep and I feel so sad Mai. I know tomorrow is just going to be hell from telling Mom about it to setting things up for his funeral. I wish you were here Mai."

"Oh Joey, I'm so sorry, I wish there was something I could do. I should be home Sunday though, things went well here and tomorrow we're finishing up shooting so I will be on the first plane home that I can get."

"Sunday is fine Mai. Just hearing your voice makes me feel better. You got your laptop there with you? Maybe we could chat instead of talking on the phone. I'd love to see your pretty face right now."

"No it's in my hotel room, I'm at a party my agent absolutely insisted I go to even though I'd much rather be in my room talking with you hun. Are you ok?"

Joey sighed, "Yeah, I'm ok. I don't think Serenity is taking this too well though. She was really broken up about it and cried all the way here from the hospital. The doctor told me he never regained consciousness after we left so that was the only time we could have seen him. I am glad we both got to tell him we loved him and to say our silent goodbyes. If we had missed that chance I'd feel so much worse."

Mai sighed, "I know Joey. I can't even imagine how hard it is for you right now. Damn I wish I was home, I should have told Reggie to find someone else…"

"Mai your career comes first you know that. I am not going anywhere. I'll be here when you get back so don't beat yourself up over this ok?"

She sighed again, "I wanted to be there to hold you though, I know you need me and here I am out in California two thousand miles away. It just hurts that I know you're in pain and I can't be there for you right now."

He could tell she was on the verge of tears and he sighed, "Mai don't cry, it's ok, really. I'm fine all right? Don't worry about this. I love you my Rosewhip, now get back toyour party and wow'em for me ok?"

"Are you sure you're ok?"

He smiled even though she couldn't see it, "Yes I am. Now you go back to the party and try to enjoy yourself. If you want to chat tomorrow afternoon or evening then just email me and I will meet up with you."

"Ok Joey, I love you so much. Take care hun."

"I will, you too. Goodbye Mai."

"Bye Joey," Mai said before hanging up the phone.

Joey thought about her dressed up in a sexy outfit and wondered if she was the prettiest girl there. He figured she had to be since he thought she was the prettiest girl he'd ever seen and to think she was his girlfriend brought a smile to his face that stayed with him as he lay down in bed. Joey said a silent prayer that his father was in heaven now and that his suffering was over, but he couldn't be sure he was truly at peace. Tomorrow was another day, one he knew wouldn't be any easier to get through. His last thoughts were on Mai and that she would be back in time to go to the funeral with him.

xoxox

The next morning Joey called his mom and let her know about Jim dying during the night. She wasn't surprised and wasn't sympathetic either. Joey wanted to slam the phone down he was so angry she couldn't at least try to act like she cared that the man she'd married and started a family with was gone. But he figured she'd spent too many years hating him to be able to feel anything but hatred for him. Still he hoped that she wouldn't be a problem at the funeral. The last thing he wanted was to argue or fight with her at Jim's funeral.

"Yeah it's set for Sunday Mom."

"Then I will pick up Serenity today and we'll see you…"

Joey fumed angrily, "NO Mom you're **not** picking her up today, she needs me right now so deal with it. You can come to the funeral and then take her home, but right now I am what she needs."

"Joey…"

"Don't give me that Mom, you lost any right to Mother me years ago when you took Serenity away from me, but that's your problem so deal with that too. She is staying here with me until after the funeral. We're both really upset and you obviously don't care, so drop it."

"Joseph Wheeler how dare…"

"How dare I what? Tell you the truth for a change? Give me a break Mother. If you cause any scenes at the funeral tomorrow I swear you'll regret it. And you'll only upset Serenity. We need to be alone with each other right now, so this is the best place for her. Here with her friends and her brother."

"Fine. But we're not staying for the whole service Joseph…"

Again his anger raged, "Then don't bother coming, I'll bring her home afterwards. Oh I forgot you don't trust me enough to tell me where the heck you live, so then you can get her here tomorrow night. Seriously don't BOTHER coming Mom, I doubt anyone would miss your presence anyway, I know I won't since I am used to you not being around when I could use support."

She was silent and he wanted to hang up in the worst way but he didn't. He waited and counted to ten and calmed down enough to speak again.

"Look Mother, just leave Serenity with me until after the service at least ok? I can understand you stopped loving Dad a long time ago, but we both love him still. We're hurt he's gone, please just try to understand that. And if you can't make it to the service don't worry about it. I'd like it if you were there for us, but only you can make that choice. Ok? I'm sorry I yelled, I am just pretty upset right now."

"I'm sorry too son. I know I haven't been the best mother I could have but Serenity was all I could handle and your father…well it doesn't matter anymore. I'll try to make the service, was it at two you said?"

"Yeah two o'clock. Talk to you later Mom," Joey said as he prepared to hang up.

"All right, tell Serenity I'll be there. In fact she's going to need a dress…"

"I'll buy her one Mom, thanks for the reminder."

"Ok, well then goodbye Joey."

"Bye Mom," Joey said sadly as he waited for her to hang up, which after a few tense moments she did.

Joey was relieved that Serenity was in the living room. It would have really upset her to hear their arguing over her like that, but Joey held back so much for so long it was like a dam burst within him and he no longer could bottle up the anger he felt towards her. Now though, he just felt sad. They would have to go get her a black dress today. Another sad reminder of their father's passing. Joey sighed and stood up from his bed, heading out to the living room where Serenity was watching something on television. Duke was sitting in a chair near her, they both looked up when he entered the room.

"Hey Duke? We need to go to the mall and get Serenity a black dress for the funeral tomorrow. Do you think you can take us?"

Duke nodded, "Oh of course, no problem. Do you want to go now? The mall is open already and I don't feel like having breakfast. Do either of you want to eat something and go?"

Serenity shook her head as did Joey.

"Then shall we go?" Duke asked.

They both nodded and Serenity slowly stood up. She was in a daze and Joey wasn't much better off. Duke was worried about his two friends and vowed to do whatever he could to help them get through the next couple days. He'd been to a funeral before but never a close relative. Only his grandfather's funeral, which had been sad, yet didn't really bother him that much as he'd only met him a few times it wasn't like he really knew the man. On the other hand, seeing Jim in the court as he had was the way Duke remembered him and would probably always remember him, full of life and seething rage.

As they went to the elevator Duke felt really bad that Joey's father was gone, yet he also felt relief, now there was nothing to stand in his friend's way of making something out of himself. He would do whatever he could to help Joey find his place in the world and looked to him as his best friend. Even though he knew Joey would offer to buy the dress for Serenity Duke wasn't going to let him. It would be his gift to her, and though it was a sad gift, it would show he cared about the young girl. They left and soon were on their way to the mall, the radio playing softly as Joey and Serenity both looked out the windows of the car.

_'I wish there was something I could do to make you both feel better, but I know the only cure for grief is time and that's something you both have plenty of,' _Duke thought to himself as he drove them all to the mall.

xoxox

Author's Note: This is the next to last chapter so if you enjoyed it pleaselet me know by submitting a review. I can see the story is getting _hits_ and I **really** want to know what those of you reading Dog Days are thinking about it. Do you like it? Is it a good Joey x Mai romance or do you hate it? Look for the final chapter to be updated in the next two days. Thanks for the feedback and thank you for reading the story. I have loved writing each and every chapter.


	25. Time To Say Goodbye

Author Note: I do not own Yugioh or any of the characters from the show. I hope you enjoy this story and I look forward to seeing what people think of it. If you like it please R&R. I don't expect this to be a long story like my other two Yugioh fics, but I think it will be a fun ride as it moves along. Just a warning, this story will contain spoilers for Battle City and possibly the Noah's Virtual World saga. This fic has been beta read by Minor Arcana; a big thank you to her for all her help and advice on the story. I hope you all enjoy this final chapter of Dog Days, it's been a pleasure writing it and getting your feedback. I'm looking forward to your final thoughts on the story everyone, so on with the fic!

Dog Days Chapter Twenty-Five: Time To Say Goodbye

xoxox

As Seto was reading the Sunday morning paper he noticed in the obituaries that Jim Wheeler had died. He thought about Joey and his little sister, thinking that they both must be really hurting. He understood that pain and though it said the funeral was today he had no plans on attending. However he did decide to get a bouquet of white roses and send a card expressing his condolences for the loss both the young Wheelers left behind had to be feeling. After he had his breakfast he got on the phone with a florist and set the order up so that it would be delivered in a few hours. That satisfied the young man and he left the paper on the table as he got up to get on with his day.

_I do hope he doesn't take my gesture as sarcasm or a jab at him in any way. If he does it won't surprise me, he is thick headed._ Seto thought as he left to find his brother.

xoxox

Joey forced himself out of bed, he was worried Mai wouldn't get home in time to make the funeral service, but he still held hope that she would. Last night she'd emailed him and they'd chatted some, he'd vented to her about his mother and she was there for him. Like always. Then she said she'd be getting home around ten in the morning and to look for her to call the moment she was in town driving home. It was only nine-thirty from the time his clock showed and he got up and went to the dresser to get his blue jean shorts. He wasn't ready to get dressed in the suit he'd gotten at the mall yesterday.

Duke had insisted on getting it for him as well as one for himself on top of the black dress Serenity picked out. Joey hadn't had the energy to argue and had accepted his offer, but planned to work a lot the coming weeks to pay him back for his kindness. That would start after he got his head together. He woke up crying in the middle of the night and realized it wasn't just a bad dream, his father _had_ died and he was really distraught by his passing. There wasn't anything left to do but to wait, so he pulled on the shorts, put his cell phone in the back pocket and took out a white tee-shirt so that he could go out to see what Duke and Serenity were doing for breakfast.

He pulled on the tee-shirt before he opened his door and could see that Serenity was sitting in the kitchen at the table while Duke was preparing something on the stove. They weren't talking but Joey's entrance broke the silence. Duke looked up and greeted him, then frowned seeing his red rimmed eyes. His eyes stung pretty badly because he'd cried so much yesterday and last night. Duke stopped what he was doing and came over to Joey putting a hand to his shoulder.

"Joey man you look awful. Look I keep some tea bags in the fridge, take two of these and go lie down in the living room with one on each eye. Just let your eyes relax. It helps trust me," Duke then moved to the refrigerator and from the crisper drawer he pulled out a plastic baggie with used tea bags in it.

Joey had come across it before and now he knew what they were used for. He smiled and took the two bags Duke offered and went to lay on the couch in the living room. Serenity got up and followed him sitting down on the floor next to him. Joey reached his arm around her shoulders and gave her a side hug, hoping she'd feel better being closer to him. She sobbed and he put the tea bags over his eyes, they were really cold but soothing. Then he reached back over to his sister, pulling her against his side, rubbing her back as she cried quietly.

After a few minutes Duke came in and announced that breakfast was ready. Joey was glad that Duke had made pancakes, that was one dish either of them could do from the pancake mix they always kept on hand and it was nice with the maple syrup that Duke had imported from Vermont. They smelled delicious and Joey slowly sat up, Serenity going right into his arms for a big hug. He knew she was pretty upset and he knew they'd have time to talk about things later. Right now something to eat would make them all feel better. Holding the teabags aside he had to admit his eyes did feel better.

Whether it was from the coldness or something in the tea leaves themselves he couldn't be sure, but he felt better even if his vision was still a little blurry. They sat down and Duke dished up three plates of pancakes and put a tray of scrambled eggs with cheese on the table for them to each spoon off some if they felt like having some eggs with their pancakes. Serenity passed, but Joey never turned his nose up at eggs with cheese. Then they ate in relative silence, Duke was trying to be nice, but it was obvious to Joey he was stressing with worry over his two friends.

"It's going to be all right Duke, don't worry. Mom is coming to get Serenity at the funeral service so we won't need to take her home. Unless she changes her mind that is and Mom is known for flip flopping, so let's not hold our breath Eh Sis?"

Serenity nodded and cut off some more of the stack of pancakes with her fork before swirling it around in the syrup and lifting it to her mouth. She wouldn't raise her eyes and Joey felt really bad for her. He didn't know what it would be like if their situations had been reversed and their Mom had died or something, how he would be feeling so he couldn't imagine what she must be going through. He reached over and held her knee, giving it a reassuring squeeze before taking his hand back.

"I wouldn't mind driving her home Joey, but it's up to your mother I guess. Just know that if she does change her mind we're prepared for it. Ok Serenity?"

Again she nodded, still refusing to look up. It was about fifteen minutes later that they all finished eating. Joey insisted he be the one to do the dishes so Duke and Serenity went out to sit in the living room to see if anything was on television. Soon Joey could hear music playing and he could tell that the music video channel was probably the best they could find. Which also meant that they might feel the need to talk, so he hurried up with the dishes and just as he was putting the pans into the water to soak his cell phone rang. He quickly dried his hands on the dishtowel and answered it knowing it was Mai.

"Hi Mai," Joey greeted her.

"Well good morning handsome. I'm on my way home to get dressed. The flight was horrible but I managed to get some rest so I should be just fine. Is Duke taking you and Serenity to the service?"

Joey sighed, "Yeah, but I hoped you'd come with us, we could all ride together if you'd like to that is."

"I'd like that hun. I'd like it just fine. I am just pulling up to my place now, so give me about half an hour and I will be over ok?"

"Sure Mai. And thanks for being here for me. I really needed to talk last night."

"I'm always glad to be here for you Joey. Hang in there, I'll be over to your place soon hun."

"Ok Mai, talk to you then," Joey replied.

"All right bye for now hun," Mai answered back before hanging up.

Joey hung up his phone and put it in his back pocket before going out to the living room to check in with Serenity and Duke. After he entered the living room he saw Duke was talking and he came in quietly to sit next to Serenity.

"So if you need anything or if you just want to get away from home for a little while and be with your brother you're always welcome here Serenity. That guestroom is yours anytime you want it."

Joey nodded, "If you need us to come get you we'll do that too even if we have to go pick you up at the library."

"No Joey, that is going to change. Mom is going to have to let you know where we live or else I am going to be really hard to live with. I won't talk to her until she gives in because I had no choice about not seeing Daddy, and now he's gone. If something happened to you I'd be lost and it's not fair for you to not know where we live. So if she doesn't like it then too bad. I'm having you and Duke drive me home today, not her. In fact I am thinking of calling her."

Joey choked, this was just what he didn't want to see, "Uh Sis are you sure you should really push this right now? Mom might not have loved Dad anymore but surely she is upset he's gone like we are. Even if it's not the same level of pain, I know she is in pain too. I think we should try to stick together Serenity. Mom will tell me where you're living or she won't either way it won't stop us from seeing each other."

She thought about it for awhile before nodding, "You're probably right big brother. I am just so angry with her. I'll get over it in time though. Thanks Duke for the offer, I am sure I will be coming around and you'll be sick of me during the summer."

"I doubt that Serenity, I could never get sick of you or your big brother. That is why I wanted him to move in here. Because I knew he and I had a lot in common and if given the chance I knew we could become best friends. And you are my best friend Joey."

Duke smiled and Joey grinned at him when the intercom buzzed, meaning someone downstairs in the shop needed Duke for something. It was so rare that anyone used it that it startled all three teens. Duke recovered quickly and reached over to it, to see what was going on.

"Mr. Devlin? There is a delivery here for a Mr. Joey Wheeler, do you want me to sign for it?"

"Sure, we'll be right down." Duke said as he got up, with Joey and Serenity right behind him.

_'I wonder what that is all about.' _Joey thought as they got onto the elevator.

When the doors opened they got out and headed to the front desk where a big bouquet of a dozen long stemmed white roses was waiting for them. Joey was stunned and wondered who could have sent them roses. He looked for a card and found it sitting on a holder in the center of the bouquet. He opened the small envelope, to reveal a small card. What struck him immediately was that it was signed by Seto Kaiba!

_'Joey, I heard about your father's passing. You have my deepest sympathies during this very difficult time. I thought the roses might cheer your sister up and that you might share them with your mother too. Stay strong Joey, time heals all things._

_Best Wishes,_

_Seto Kaiba'_

He showed it to Serenity and then to Duke who both looked pleasantly surprised by the gesture the CEO had made and on short notice no doubt. Joey thought he must have seen it in the paper today and cared enough to send them this bouquet. Joey smiled and thought he'd send a thank you card later when he got around to sending out the many thank you cards he knew he'd have to work on after today. But one thing Joey Wheeler had learned was that the better you were at keeping up with other people the better they treated you.

He pulled a white rose out and handed it to his sister who took it and smiled, "This is really sweet of Kaiba to send these Joey, don't you think so?"

He nodded, "Yeah I do, I'll send him a thank you card later after we get back and things settle down."

Just then Mai pulled up and Joey pulled a second rose from the bouquet putting it behind his back. Mai had her long hair up in a french twist and wore a modest black dress. Since he remembered she'd said she'd gone to her aunt's funeral it made sense that she had an appropriate dress for such a sad and somber occasion. Joey opened the door for her and then handed her the rose from behind his back. She smiled and took it graciously before pulling Joey to her in a warm embrace.

"How are you holding up Joey?" Mai asked with grave concern.

"I'm fine now that _you're here._ So guess who sent these roses? You'll never guess so I'm just going to tell you. **Kaiba!** Can you believe that?"

Mai's jaw dropped and she shook her head, Joey handed her the card and she read over it.

"Wow, that is deep coming from him Joey. Maybe he's grown up a bit and decided he has better things to do then bother with tormenting you anymore," the young blonde said hopefully.

Joey nodded, "I think he has Mai. Seriously he hasn't bothered me in weeks. I gotta say I appreciate it too because he was so arrogant at times it made me nauseous. So we have a little time before the service are you hungry?"

Mai nodded and together, Joey carrying the bouquet, they went upstairs with Serenity and Duke right behind them. There were enough eggs and pancakes leftover that Mai could have some and that was just what she did. Joey put the bouquet into a vase of water and took out another rose he put into a slender vase to put on his desk, which he did while Mai was eating. After she finished eating she and Serenity went to get dressed as time had passed and it was getting closer to the time they'd have to leave. Joey and Duke sighed in unison and headed to their rooms to don their new suits. It was bound to be a rough hour or two until they came back, but they would all get through it somehow.

xoxox

When the time came they all piled into Duke's Cadillac and Joey sat in the back with Mai, holding three of the white roses, while Serenity sat up front. They drove in silence to the cemetery where Jim's remains were being buried in a few minutes. There weren't very many people there, and Joey wasn't surprised that his mother was no where in sight when they parked and got out of the car. Just as they were going Serenity's cell phone went off and she pulled it from her purse and answered it. It was their mom.

"Hi Serenity, listen I can't make it, so let me talk to your brother I want to speak to him about bringing you home."

Without saying anything she handed Joey her phone. He knew who it was without even having to hear her voice and if she was going to argue with him now was not the time so he reluctantly put the phone to his ear.

"Hi Mother," he said.

"Hello son, listen I was thinking that since you said you could bring Serenity home why don't you? Bring your new girlfriend and that nice young man you're living with and I will make dinner for us."

"Seriously? All right Mom, if you're sure that it is ok, we'll see you later then."

He handed the phone back to Serenity who said goodbye to their mom and put the phone back in her purse quickly as they walked over to the area the service was being held. There was no casket, just an urn with the cremated remains of Jim's body and Joey had secured him a plot there in Domino Cemetery so that he would always be able to come visit his grave. It was sad that there were only five people besides the priest gathered around the urn and open plot, but Joey knew his father had left many friends and the few here he recognized from the factory Jim had worked at.

_Poor Dad, I won't let you down. I promise to make something of my life, _Joey thought as he stopped to stand between Mai and his sister, with Duke on the other side of Serenity.

The service was short and Joey handed Serenity one of the three white roses, which she put in the grave, along with one Joey had put there. Then the time came and they had to go. It was as silent on the way back to the Black Crown as it was on the way to the cemetery. They had decided to pick up Serenity's things and get her taken home since Sandy, their mother, had told Joey she was making them dinner. Joey sighed and leaned over so that his head was resting on Mai's shoulder as they waited for Serenity and Duke to come back out from getting her things. He didn't feel like crying anymore but was sure he would again in the near future.

It was just like he shut down everything emotionally inside of himself, everything except for his feelings for Mai that is. She reached her arm around his shoulders and hugged him. He needed the contact and if it weren't for her wearing lipstick he'd have kissed her right then. But he had a lot on his mind right now and she seemed to intuitively understand that, leaving the silence between them unbroken. About ten minutes passed before Duke and Serenity appeared, both still dressed in black, and Duke held Serenity's bags in one hand as he opened the door for her.

After she got in he handed them to her and she put them on the floor between her feet. The drive was long, but they did finally arrive at an apartment complex that Serenity directed them to that was maybe a minute's ride away from the library where they'd picked her up previously. Joey had wondered how she'd gotten there without a bike and now he knew, it was within easy walking distance. It was a nice complex, but still seeing it made Joey's blood boil, just thinking that it was only now that their mom would trust him enough or even care enough to take an interest in his life and his friends.

He calmed down as they went inside apartment 214 and he looked around behind the approaching figure of his mother. She was smiling as he handed her the white rose he'd brought along just for her, and he could smell that she'd made something delicious. His mouth watered just remembering her cooking from his boyhood memories. She was civil enough towards Duke and Mai and even Joey himself. He was surprised when she hugged him and held him tightly for a few moments before releasing him and thanking him for the flower. She showed them into the living room and said that dinner would be ready soon. Then she asked if Joey would come into the kitchen with her a moment.

_Here we go, she's going to lay into me over that argument I just know it._

But harsh words didn't come from her mouth.

"Joseph, I'm sorry I couldn't bring myself to go to the service, I just didn't want to even see anything remotely connected to death. I have a real problem with it you see, ever since my mother died two years ago. You remember don't you?"

"Yeah, it was around the time of Serenity's surgery if I recall right."

She nodded, "Yes, well I wanted to apologize for so much that I have done that has hurt you. I don't want to talk badly about your father, there was a time I was very in love with him but he changed. Never mind that, what is important now is that we open the lines of communication between us and try to become a family again. Would you like that son?"

Joey nodded, "Yes Mother, I'd like that a lot. I am planning on going to college but I just don't know what for yet. I need some time to get my head together after losing Dad…I just know that half of the money I get from the house being sold is going to be set away for Serenity's college fund. I know that is what Dad wanted."

She started crying and Joey stood there a moment before moving over to her, embracing her and hugging her softly. She reached around his back and hugged him in return and for once in his life it seemed that everything was going to work out. She wiped at her eyes and pulled away from the hug after a few moments and then went to check on the casserole she had in the oven.

"I hope your friends enjoy dinner. I went to a lot of trouble to make tuna casserole for you. I remember it was one of your favorites. I'm going to work hard to make things up to you son, I promise I will. In fact I have been thinking about moving. To Domino."

"Wow Mom really? That would be great, I would love to have you both closer," he said enthusiastically.

"I think it would be good for all of us. In fact I have a set of keys I had made today for the car, a second set for you to keep so we can share the car, I can't afford to get you one of your own but I am willing to share it with you son. Everything that I have I want you to have," she said pulling a key chain from her skirt pocket handing it to Joey.

"Gee thanks Mother, that means a lot to me, you don't know how long I have wanted us to be a family again. I'm sorry I was so mean on the phone, I was under a lot of stress about Dad it was so horrible, but let's not dwell in the past when the future looks so bright, thanks so much Mother. You know I love you," Joey said blushing slightly.

"I know son, I love you too. Your girlfriend is really pretty and that other boy seems very nice. I am glad you are surrounded by good people who care about you, you deserve that."

He nodded and then went back out to the living room, his mother came out behind him and asked what everyone wanted to drink and soon they were sitting and talking happily. Serenity seemed rather quiet, yet she looked happy that finally her brother got to see her home and was talking with their mother in a casual way for the first time in ages. It wasn't long before they were sitting down to dinner and it was a lovely meal. By the time they left it was almost eight and being a school night they headed right home. Joey was glad that things had worked out well with his mother. She had been impressed with both Mai and Duke and Joey was impressed that she'd spoken of moving and even given him keys to her car.

As they arrived at the Black Crown all three got out and Duke led the way inside. The few customers that were in the store were awed by Duke in a suit and he was stopped by a group of girls wanting his autograph. He waved to Joey and Mai and they went on ahead up stairs. In the elevator Joey finally broke the silence that had seemed endless since they got in the car on the way home. He'd sat in back with Mai even though Serenity wasn't with them, he just needed to be close to her and no one complained so it was understood without having to be said that he was right where he needed to be. He cleared his throat and still holding her hand he smiled at her.

"I love you Mai Valentine."

"I love you too Joey Wheeler, with all of my heart. I am so sorry about your father hun," she said sympathetically.

He lowered his gaze to their feet, "I am too. But you know what? In the end I think it worked out ok. I mean he got to help out both me and my sister in his final days. I hope the house sells soon and with the money I get from it I can get into college and maybe have enough leftover of my half to get a car. I'd like to be able to drive over to your place and go out to grab some take out or be able to do whatever. Just to have my own wheels is a dream I have."

The elevator doors opened revealing the richly furnished third floor where they both got off.

"You can make any dream of yours happen Joey, I believe that I really do."

"I know you do Mai. I used to dream of you being my girl and look how well that's worked out for us both."

He squeezed her hand and they went to get her things out of the guestroom.

"Why don't you stay with me tonight Joey? I don't mind. I'd like it if you did," Mai said as she slung her duffel bag over her shoulder.

"Yeah I think that would be nice Mai. Can we stop by the park on the way? I think there's a game tonight and I'd like to go swing and think a little while. That sound ok with you?"

She nodded, "Sure Joey, get a bag packed and get your stuff for school and I will take you in the morning."

Joey smiled, "Thanks babe, you're the best, you really are."

Winking at him over her shoulder she laughed, "You know I am. I'll be right here while you get your stuff ready."

He went to his room and quickly packed a bag with his school clothes for morning and then grabbed his books, putting them into the backpack he used for school, then he was made a final check of his room making sure nothing was left on that shouldn't be. He was satisfied everything was in order so he left, closing the door behind him. Then he took Mai's duffel bag from her, slinging it over one shoulder along with his own overnight bag and the two of them headed back downstairs together.

xoxox

At the park they sat on the swings, just as they had together so many weeks ago it almost seemed like an eternity. Joey thought about how lucky he was that he'd come as far as he had. He knew he hadn't done it alone and it had all started with the simple decision to go into that library that hot summer afternoon, to escape the blistering sun. That he found a love for writing, a love that helped break the ground for his relationship with his true love to grow out of was something altogether remarkable. He was in awe of the cards that fate had dealt him recently.

He'd miss his father dearly, but at least in the end he'd gotten him _back_ from the demon of addiction he'd had for alcohol. Joey Wheeler vowed to never become like his father had. He made a silent promise as he sat there swinging with Mai that if she said yes to him when he'd ask her to marry him, that he'd always love and protect her like she deserved to be loved and protected. After he was in college and had a direction his life was going in that would be when he'd ask her. But for right now just being together and in love was the most fantastic feeling he could have ever imagined.

He laughed as she let down her hair and shook it out, she looked so pretty with just the lights from the nearby baseball field and he told her so. As they swung together holding hands for the first time in a long time Joey Wheeler felt hope beyond just that of getting through another day. He felt the kind of hope one feels when coming to a crossroads in life and making the right choice. He knew that right now being with Mai was the right thing for him and with the love and support of his girlfriend and their close friends that he wouldn't ever have to worry about the days where he'd lived in fear. Those dog days were finally over for good.

xoxox

Final Author Note, thank you all so much for your invaluable feedback and support of this story. I really enjoyed writing it and I hope that you found the ending as fitting as I did when writing it. I don't see a sequel anytime soon, but I may do a one shot of Joey in college, but that will be at another point in time. I do appreciate every single review this story got and thank you all so much for taking the time to submit them. It means so much to hear that what you've worked hard on was enjoyed. Thank you, I and really looking forward to your final reviews on Dog Days.


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